Target individual: This Adlerian Play Therapy intervention was designed
specifically for a middle school population. The target population would
exhibit inappropriate social skills demonstrated by difficulty interacting
with others, and by their trouble making and keeping friends. This intervention
would work towards helping this group relearn the skills needed to interact
appropriately. We feel that it can be tailored for use with other populations
as well.
Theoretical Orientation:
Basic Concepts:
a) Behavior is purposeful.
b) People are social beings who have a need to belong.
Therefore, behavior must be examined in a social context.
c) Human beings can learn social interest.
d) People must be viewed holistically. (Kottman & Schaefer,
1993)
Nature of the Therapeutic Process: Stages & Strategies:
1) Building a relationship with the child (tracking, restatement
of content, reflection of feelings, encouragement, limit setting)
2) Investigating the child’s life-style (goals of behavior,
family atmosphere and constellation, early recollections, life-style
hypotheses)
3) Helping the child gain insight into life-style (tentative
hypotheses, therapeutic metaphors)
4) Reorientation/Reeducation (generating alternative behaviors,
consultation) (Kottman & Johnson, 1993)
Relevant History: Alfred Adler was one of the first four members in Freud’s
psychoanalytic circle. However, Adler’s views, emphasizing the subjectivity
of perception and social factors, became more and more divergent from psychoanalytic
theory, and he left the society in 1911 (Sharf, 2000). Adler, Dreikurs, Dinkmeyer
and others worked with children from an Adlerian framework, yet they did
not use play therapy techniques. Others wrote articles suggesting using Adlerian
play therapy techniques as appropriate interventions. However, it was Kottman
who formulated a method for combining play therapy and Adlerian techniques
(Kottman & Schaefer, 1993).
Terminology: Goals of behavior: The four goals of misbehavior are attention, power,
revenge, and inadequacy. The most common goal of behavior is attention. However,
most of the children referred for play therapy are children whose goal is
power (Kottman & Johnson, 1993). Social interest: The caring and concern for the welfare of others
that can serve to guide people’s behavior throughout their lives. It is a
sense of being a part of society and taking responsibility to improve it
(Sharf, 2000). Family atmosphere: The characteristic pattern established by parents
and presented to their children as a standard for social living (Kottman
& Johnson, 1993). Family constellation: The number, birth order, and personality characteristics
of members of a family are important in determining lifestyle. (Sharf, 2000) Early recollections: Moments, usually from the first 4 to 6 years
of life, that a person remembers, and represents how the child views self,
others, and the world (Kottman & Johnson, 1993). Life-style hypotheses: Based on the goals of behavior, family atmosphere,
family constellation, and early recollections, the counselor can begin to
formulate hypotheses about the child’s beliefs about self, other, and the
world (“I am…” “Others are…” “The world is…”)(Kottman & Johnson, 1993).
Advantages & Limitations:
Adlerian psychotherapy is diverse and takes into consideration
the importance of familial and social factors. It is also practical and goal
oriented, and techniques are geared to change beliefs and behaviors within
a short amount of time. Furthermore, its education emphasis can be applied
to both children and their parents.
The short-term nature of this approach may make it difficult
to fully understand a client’s lifestyle and show how earlier experiences
are influencing current functioning (Sharf, 2000).
Session One (& Two): Getting to Know You
Purpose: Stage 1 - Building a relationship (with the child)
Objectives: To build an egalitarian relationship with the child and
to explain the logistics of play therapy.
Materials Needed: Playroom equipped with standard play therapy material.
Verbal Components: This session is primarily verbal.
Procedures: (30 minutes)
1. Explain the logistics of the play therapy process.
2. Ask the child what his/her parents said the reason for
coming is.
3. Reframe the presenting problem in a way that is more
hopeful and acknowledges the child’s assets, uniqueness, and creativity.
Express your joy for having the opportunity to work with him/her.
4. Let the child free play for the remainder of the session.
Use tracking, reflection of feelings, restatement of content, tentative hypotheses,
encouraging, and questioning strategies. Feel free to engage in play with
the child.
5. Set limits on the child hurting him/herself or others,
damaging toys or property, and other destructive behavior.
- Use a four-step limit-setting procedure.
- First, state the limit in a nonjudgmental manner.
- Then reflect the child’s feelings and make guesses about
the purpose of the behavior.
- Fourth, help the child generate appropriate alternative
behaviors. If the child continues to break the limit the counselor can set
up logical consequences (Kottman & Johnson, 1993).
Processing Leads/Possible Responses:
“Sometimes you feel alone.”
“You feel sad about that.”
“Wow, you look really proud of yourself!”
“It is against the rules in the playroom to (state behavior).”
“It sounds like you really don’t like people telling you what to do. You
get mad when I tell you it is against the rules to do (state behavior).”
“In here, people are not for hurting. I bet you can think of something else
you can do with (name object) that wouldn’t hurt anything.”
“What do you think should happen if you choose to do (state behavior)
again?”
Recommendations: While building rapport in these initial sessions
begin to watch the child’s actions in the playroom and in the waiting room.
Examine the child’s behavior, the reactions and feelings of other people
toward the child, and the child’s responses to correction so to gain initial
information about the child’s goals of behavior. Also monitor your own reactions
to the child (Kottman & Schaefer, 1993).
Session One (& Two): Building a Relationship – parent consultation
(20 minutes)
Objectives: Begin building a partnership with the parent(s) by making
the parent(s) feel heard and understood. It is important during this stage
to validate feelings and to look for positive aspects of the parent-child
relationship (Kottman & Schaefer, 1993). Use reflection of feelings,
restatement of content, tentative hypotheses, encouraging, and questioning
strategies.
Session Three: Reflections
Purpose: Stage two – Investigating the child’s life-style
Objectives: Child will be able to demonstration goals of behavior,
family atmosphere and family constellation.
Materials Needed: crayons, paper
Experiential and Verbal Components: This session has some of each.
Procedures: (30 minutes)
1. Have child draw a picture of an early
recollection involving their family.
2. When child has completed his or her
picture, if time is available, have the child fill in the blanks in the following:
I am _____; others are _____; the world is _____.
3. Have the child explain his or her
picture to you.
- ask open-ended questions to stimulate discussion (i.e., What is the family
doing? What are they each feeling?)
4. Ask the child to explain how he or
she filled in the blanks to the sentences above.
Objectives: Gather information regarding parent(s) family(ies) of
origin, and what they learned about parenting, and about themselves, others,
and the world as they grew up. The therapist will also gather the parents’
perspective(s) on the child’s goals of behavior, family constellation, and
family atmosphere.
Session Four: Aggravation
Purpose: Stage three - Help child gain insight into his or her life-style.
Objectives: Child will come to understand the affect his or
her behavior has on others.
Materials: A game for two or more players (consider the client‘s
skill level when choosing the game), several index cards with an inappropriate
social skill written on each (i.e. interrupts others, doesn’t take
turns). Try to make some cards with the specific behaviors the child
is having trouble with.
Experiential and Verbal Components: This session has some of each.
Procedures: (30 minutes)
1. Explain that you will be playing a game using bad social skills
(this is a form of paradoxical intention).
2. Make sure the child understands the rules of the game.
3. The game can be played with parents or counselor or all of these.
4. Have each person choose a card. This card is his or her prescribed
behavior throughout the game. For example, if a person draws the “doesn’t
take turns” card, he or she would steal the dice (if one is being used) and
move out of turn.
5. After the game is over, process the experience with the players
of the game giving everyone a chance to speak.
- How was it when _____ kept going
out of turn?
- How did it make you feel when _____
kept interrupting what you had to say?
- Was it difficult to play the game?
- Did you feel like finishing the game?
- Finally, you might want to ask: “Is
it possible that in everyday situations these types of behaviors are frustrating
to others? What type of situations can you think of other than playing a
game when these behaviors would be frustrating?
6. Discuss how the game should have gone.
7. If time allows and the child seems interested, the game could be
played again this time using more appropriate social skills.
8. Discuss how the game went this time.
- How was it different this time?
- Was it more enjoyable? Explain.
Objectives: Assist the parent(s) in understanding their child’s life-style.
Helps the parent(s) understand their own life-style, and its impact on their
parenting effectiveness, and teach parenting skills.
Session Five: Bright Ideas!
Purpose: Stage 4 - Reorientation/Reeducation (with the child)
Objective: Brainstorming alternative, more appropriate behaviors.
Materials Needed: Pencil or pen and paper, list of specific
situations.
Verbal Components: This session is primarily verbal. Experiential
components can be used as needed, such as using puppets or dolls.
Procedures: (30 minutes)
1. Read one specific situation that you have designed to
meet the client’s needs.
2. Brainstorm alternative behaviors for the situation.
- May need to use play media such as
puppets to de-personalize this experience if the client is not inclined to
help in the brainstorming process.
- You can either have the client come
up with a situation for the puppets (dolls, drawing, etc.) or you can make
one up yourself. You may choose to use the same situations you planned on
using before.
- If the situation is different than
what was initially intended, it does not necessarily have to relate to the
client’s problems, but would be best if it was easily generalized to his/her
situation.
- If the client is having problems
brainstorming, you may want to have them just say what comes to mind, without
thinking of possible consequences. You can also add some to the list.
3. Review brainstormed list and process possible outcomes
for each suggestion. Choose two or three of the behaviors to try out with
teachers, parents, and/or friends.
- It may be necessary to role-play
with the client before asking him/her to try out the new behaviors. If this
is the case, it may take an additional session to prepare the client to practice
the skills outside of the playroom.
Possible situations: (tailor situations to the client)
1. You are walking down the hallway at school and see a
group of fellow students whom you do not want to run into, what should you
do?
2. A fellow student at school has played an embarrassing
practical joke on you. You feel as though everyone is laughing at you. How
can you handle this?
3. You forgot your completed homework assignment at home
and feel anxious that the teacher is not going to let you turn it in tomorrow.
What is a good way to present the situation to her, so she may consider allowing
you to?
4. Your friend is mad at you for a reason that is unclear
to you. How can you make this situation change?
Possible Responses:
- During brainstorming phase, if client
is having trouble thinking of alternative behaviors:
“Just think of any type of response, without considering what would happen
if you did it.”
- If you need to bring in play media,
such as puppets, to help:
“Let’s ask our favorite puppets how they would behave!”
- During review of brainstorming actions:
“What do you think would happen if you chose to behave in that way toward
your teacher/friend?”
“Should you practice this behavior this week?”
Homework: If the client is ready, make sure he/she knows which
skills to practice and with whom. Be clear that he/she needs to do so before
your next session together.
Remember: It may be necessary to prepare the client for the
addition of his/her parent(s) into the play session next time. It is then
that the client will practice behavior changes and communication changes
with the parent(s).
Objectives: Supporting and encouraging the changes in parent(s)’s
approach to self and parenting process. Continue to gather information on
both the client’s and the parent(s)’s changes are going.
Processing Leads/Possible Responses:
May want to ask the parent(s):
“What types of communication have you tried when communicating with (child’s
name)?”
“How has that been working?”
“What types of responses have you been seeing from (child’s name)?”
“Sounds like you are doing a great job!”
“Yours and (child’s name) communicating seems to be getting a lot better!”
“Is there anything you would like to do differently?”
“What are some other ways you could respond?”
“Great ideas!”
Session Six: Reorientation/Reeducation Stage continued – child and parent(s)
Title: Practice! Practice! Practice!
Objectives: Assisting the client and parent(s) to communicate
better with each other. Showing the parent(s) alternative ways of communicating
(using media such as puppets, etc.) if needed.
Materials: All play materials should be accessible for the client
to choose what he/she would like to use in case media is necessary to assist
in the communication.
Experiential and/or Verbal Components: Dependent on what is chosen
by the client and/parent(s). The counselor has a very small role during this
session.
Procedures: (50 minutes)
1. Ask the client and parent(s) what issue/situation they
would like to work on first.
2. Allow them to practice communicating with each other
without interfering with the communication.
- If the client or parent(s) look to
you for support or suggestions, be sure to redirect the conversation to them.
You may something like, “(Parent’s or child’s name), can you tell (child’s
or parent’s name) what you are thinking about (state the situation).
- If play media has become involved,
you can say something like, “Can you tell (child’s name)’s puppet what you
are thinking about (state the situation).
3. Practice as many issues/situations as time allows.
***You may want to have additional sessions with the client and a friend
– possibly many different friends at different times – to assist in the client’s
communication in friendships.
References
Kottman, T. (1995). Partners in
play: An Adlerian approach to play therapy. Alexandria, VA: American
Counseling Association.
Kottman, T. & Johnson, V. (1993).
Adlerian play therapy: A tool for school counselors. Elementary School
Guidance & Counseling, 28 (1), 42-52.
Kottman, T. & Schaefer, C. (Eds.).
(1993). Play therapy in action: A casebook for practitioners. Northvale,
NJ: Jason Aronson.
Sharf, R. (2000). Theories of psychotherapy
& counseling: Concepts and cases (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Brooks/Cole.
