Psychodynamic counselling with under-5s and their families: Clinical and technical issues

Abstract

This paper describes the brief psychotherapy treatment of two families of children under 5 years of age. Each treatment addresses the problems of early childhood in the context of the family relationships and dynamics. The presenting problems are the severe uncontrollability and defiance of the child towards the mother in the first family and the child's soiling as a form of unconscious protest in the second family.

Technical issues are discussed in the context of the clinical material. One key technique described is the exploration of the parental feelings, in order to facilitate the parents' understanding of the emotional link between themselves and their child. Another technique discussed is the gathering of the family history and a picture of the presenting symptoms in the here and now of the sessions. The w of the interpretation of both the family dynamics and the interplay of mutual projections among the family members and the therapist, to increase awareness and the family interactions, is also discussed.

Key Words:

• Parent-child psychotherapy;
• internal world;
• reparation;
• projections;
• parental feelings.