Adlerian Play Therapy
Adlerian Play Therapy
Adlerian Play Therapy
ADLERIAN
PLAY THERAPY
Abstract: The author describes Adlerian play therapy, with an emphasis on the
basic tenets of the approach, the view of the child and his or her capacity to
change, the role of the therapist, the goals of therapy, and the unique
characteristics of the approach. Adlerian parent consultation is also described.
The Adlerian play therapist bases his or her work on the belief
that all people are socially embedded, goal-directed, creative beings
(Adler, 1956; Dinkmeyer, Dinkmeyer, & Sperry, 1987; Kottman, 1995,
1999b). Socially embedded means that people have a need to belong—in
their families, in their classrooms, in their neighborhoods, in other
collections of people. One of the primary functions of the therapist is to
investigate how the child fits into these relationships. The play therapist
must work to understand how the child makes connections with others,
by watching the child play out scenarios about people or animals
Adlerian Play Therapy 3
technique in which the therapist acknowledges the assets and the efforts
and progress of the child, returns responsibility to the child to build his
or her sense of competence, and demonstrates the courage to be
imperfect to reinforces the child's willingness to take risks and try new
behaviors.
There are four phases in Adlerian play therapy: (a) building an
egalitarian relationship with the child, (b) exploring the child's lifestyle,
(c) helping the child gain insight into his or her lifestyle, and (d)
providing reorientation and reeducation for the child when necessary
(Kottman, 1994, 1995, 2001). Parent consultation follows the same
phases, with the emphasis on the parent and his or her lifestyle and the
interaction between the lifestyles of the parents and the child. The
specific expectations for the evolution of the child and his or her parents
will be different, depending on the phase of the play therapy/ parent
consultation process.
During the first phase, the play therapist builds an egalitarian
partnership with the child. In this phase, the child may change very
little, except in his or her willingness to make a connection to an adult.
The therapist also works to build a relationship with the child's parents,
with little expectation for them to begin change their parenting
strategies, though sometimes simply having another adult listen to them
talk about their child brings about changes in the parent/child
relationship.
In the second phase, the therapist explores the child's lifestyle-
gathering information from the child and the parents. The therapist also
works to understand the parents' lifestyles in relationship to their
parenting practices. During this phase, the therapist has the expectation
that the child will answer questions and play out the various aspects of
his or her lifestyle and that the parents will answer questions about the
child, the parents' family-of-origin, the marital relationship, family
values, parenting methods, and so forth. There is little pressure from the
play therapist for change on the part of the child or the parents, although
sometimes they gain insight simply from the exploration process, which
may lead to change.
In the third phase, there is a major shift in the Adlerian play
therapist's expectations for change—both with the child and with the
parents. The play therapist will attempt to help the child gain a better
6 Kottman
GOALS OF THERAPY
efforts, and improvements of the child and the parents to enhance their sense
of self-efficacy and reduce any discouragement they might be feeling.
The type of information gathered during the second phase is unique
to Adlerian play therapy (Kottman, 2001). The therapist wants information
about family constellation (birth order), family atmosphere, goals of
misbehavior, assets, Crucial Cs, early memories, and personality priorities
(Kottman, 1999c, 2001; Kottman & Ashby, 1999). The Adlerian play therapist
uses this special combination of data to devise a comprehensive
conceptualization of the child's lifestyle, and in many cases, the parents'
lifestyles as well.
Spitting in the soup and metacommunication are both uniquely
Adlerian techniques. Spitting in the soup is a strategy in which the therapist
points out situations in which the child (or parent) is interfering with his or
her own functioning-usually because of mistaken beliefs or striving toward
goals of misbehavior. In Adlerian play therapy, the therapist uses
metacommunication to make guesses about elements of the child's lifestyle
based on his or her observation of the child's nonverbal reactions, responses
to therapist comments, patterns and themes across sessions, and patterns and
themes related to the child's lifestyle. In parent consultation, the therapist
makes guesses about patterns in relationships, behaviors, feelings, and
thought processes. The purpose of this technique is to help the child and the
parents gain awareness and understanding of their motivations, goals, and
beliefs.
The strong interconnectedness of the play therapy process and the
parent consultation and the structure of the consultation with parents is also a
distinctively Adlerian phenomenon. Although there are other play therapy
approaches that work with parents, the emphasis in those relationships is
usually solely on the child and his or her behavior. In Adlerian parent
consultation, the therapist combines consultation with teaching and
counseling techniques so that parents are able to better understand their own
roles in the maintenance of the child's self-defeating behaviors and attitudes.
As part of this process, parents also develop the knowledge and skills to make
concrete changes in parenting strategies and any other aspects of the
relationships within the family in order to support positive shifts in the child.
Adlerian Play Therapy 11
REFERENCES