The purposes of this study are to search for an essence of Theraplay and understand a concrete interaction process of Theraplay. It has been proven that Theraplay, a type of child counseling methods, is an effective way not only for enhancement of mot...
The purposes of this study are to search for an essence of Theraplay and understand a concrete interaction process of Theraplay. It has been proven that Theraplay, a type of child counseling methods, is an effective way not only for enhancement of mother-child attachment but also for reduction of problem behaviors of the child. However, because "effectiveness" has been measured only by outcomes, it has been difficult to understand the interactions affected by Theraplay. This study tried to bring out the concrete process of Theraplay interaction by means of qualitative methods which is based on phenomenology, a concrete understanding of changes in interaction is very useful for children, parents and therapists who are involved in Theraplay.
For this study, I chose one Theraplay counseling center and one mental hospital for child-adolescence, and then conducted participant observation for Theraplay phenomena in the playroom and in-depth interview with participants' mothers. The period of experience for Theraplay interaction with children in the two places was from July 2005 to January 2007. The followings are the results of this study.
First, I tried to find out the process of change and factors that made things change. In order to apprehend the process of change of the participants, I needed to check the status of interaction between mother and child at the very beginning stage of Theraplay through MIM and in-depth interview. As a result of checking over, they had not only difficulty for adjustment but also for attunement. There was no emotional exchange between the mother and child. I intended to search for child's change process and factors by looking into phenomena. The participants have changed as below. From "child with horny body" to "playful child", from "child done as if games", (he wanted to win in every situation irrespective of method) to "child has no concern of losing". And from "child looking at the world by only her own view" to "child receiving empathy of others", from "child showing only anger" to "child expressing himself affirmatively", from "child doesn't know shyness" to "child knowing shyness" Shyness means healthy shame that makes child do appropriate behavior requiring in situation., from "child trying to escape from rules" to "child following rules." Especially, the children had been changed knowing together meanings of "touch" with a therapist, which had been done by therapist across the whole process of therapy. To tell the truth, it was a process of therapy. Furthermore, I found the common interaction aspects in the change process of children. They had changed from "doing what he has done" to "feeling differently", "being confused", "requiring confirmation", "receiving the result" and "starting establishment of self images and other's images." The factors of change were "re-experiencing of objection", "change of environment", "empathic interaction."
Second, I tried to find out mother's change process and change factors. In the beginning stage of Theraplay, the mother had doubts about the effectiveness of Theraplay, and felt guilty and jealousy toward the therapist at the same time because she thought she had not done for her child like therapist did before. She also showed self-defense attitudes. However, the mother gradually got to know what she should do by experience of Theraplay. As a result of this, the mother understood therapist's interaction manner, and then she tried to copy and adopt the therapist's manner in her daily life. Consequently, she acquired her own manner of interaction by making modeling of therapist's manner through trial and error period.
Third, I tried to find out the change process and factors of therapist in interactions. I divided them into therapist's growth period and therapist's role. Therapist tried to interact with child's reaction having the attitude of containing, facilitating, holding, and searching. Then therapist realized therapy was not focusing on activities, but focusing on meanings. In the initial stage, therapist acted according to the situation rather than according to the child's reactions and therapist's strategy. Therapist depressed caused by therapist's incompetence, sometimes, she even did overpraise for the undistinguished behavior of participants, but gradually she has grown up as a therapist through ceaseless interchange with Theraplay community, reflection, trial, and practice.
Through the above process, I understood that change process, factor and effectiveness(result) consist on the one change structure which could not be taken apart. First of all, I have found that change process was "position I borrow the notion by Klein. tendency", it means the subject of interaction had an attitude for and interpretation about relationship in his own way. It is not stages but interpretation in interaction. Sometimes attitude and interpretation are overlapping, sometimes make progress. And I realized that change factors are linked each other, so they influence on each other's change. Last, changes into child's actions could not exist without accompanying changes in the child's mind. The child had met the others in his mind, as expanded "the horizon of interchange" and "rebuilding after breaking down images." It was connected with effectiveness(result) of change. But, change result did not add change process and change factors. It contained dynamics in addition to change process and factors. I realized the dynamics that is an interpretation of Theraplay interaction. So it was one of question of this study and process of interpretation of Theraplay interaction that is meaning on Theraplay interaction. Moreover in order to search for meanings of Theraplay interaction, I looked into the essence of Theraplay Step by step, I had realized the four meanings through researching for phenomena, that were "encounter", "responsibility", "reconstruction", "immersion." Those four meanings could have made the subject of interaction to go beyond and look for existence of itself. In addition, those four meanings melt together in the phenomena of interaction. There were always four meanings in all the times and spaces of Theraplay interaction.
In conclusion, I tried to search for change process and factors in revealing concrete contexts of Theraplay interaction and to know how the change process and factors were related with the change effectiveness (result). This study was got to understand the essence of Theraplay interaction and extend knowledge for Theraplay, psychotherapy process and context, and make easy to understand child counseling.