When Puppets Speak: Dialectical Psychodrama within Developmental Child Psychotherapy

Abstract

Rigid relational representations often contribute substantially to children's psychosocial problems. One of the core tasks of any developmental child psychotherapy is therefore to trace and chart these (relational) representations. The present article illustrates how a child-oriented protocol of the action sociogram is a valid candidate for dealing with these representations. It outlines the theoretical basis of the protocol, describes the construction and application of the action sociogram, and reviews the possibilities offered by the protocol.

Acknowledgments

We thank the personnel and clients of the child and juvenile psychiatric centre for their participation in this protocol construction.

Notes

1. Mentalization refers to the capacity to recognize intentions and feelings in oneself and in others, to understand one's own behavior and interpersonal behavior in terms of mental states, and to situate all this within a psychic reality (Fonagy et al., 2002).

2. The introduction of treatment protocols is sometimes called “a little revolution” (Wilson, 1996). Yet they are met with controversy and ambivalence from diverse therapeutic schools (including psychodrama and constructivism; Addis, Wade, & Hatgis, 1999; Castonguay et al., 1999; Wilson, 1996). One of the critiques is that such manuals go against spontaneity and creativity, two basic tenets of constructivist and psychodramatical work. However, proponents accentuate the methodological advantages of the manuals (i.e., the training of therapists and the further development of therapy research because of standardization). We see the construction of this protocol as a necessary step in an actualization movement of psychodrama, because it enables effective communication about the technique, and further effect research. Therefore, we conceptualize the manual as a broad theoretically based framework that needs to be adapted to therapy goals and clients’ needs.

3. Consistent with Martin Buber, Moreno (the father of psychodrama) early on underscored the fundamental importance of dialogues as truly empathically reciprocal contacts or encounters between I and You (Apter, 2003; Moreno, 1964). Psychodrama can therefore also be understood as a therapy of relationships.

4. In the technique of doubling, a member of the group or the codirector expresses what the protagonist is thinking via words or gestures (Blatner, 1995; ‘s-Gravendijk, 1983; Verhofstadt-Denève, 2001a), always checking whether the protagonist accepts or rejects the content of the doubling.