Bertha Mook

Analyses of therapist variables in a series of psychotherapy sessions with two child clients

Studied the process of child psychotherapy by means of an analyses of therapist verbal behaviors. Audio-video recordings were made of nine intermittent psychotherapy sessions with 2 child clients, aged 8 and 12. A randomized mastertape of 4-minute segments was rated for empathic understanding and respect by means of the Carkhuff scales. Transcripts were categorized by means of the Hill Counselor Verbal Response Category System, and a preliminary set of 12 grammatical variables. Transcripts were minutized, and all the therapist variables were intercorrelated and factor-analyzed. According to the research expectations, high levels of interrater reliabilities for the Carkhuff scales and relatively high agreement levels for Hills system were found. Analyses of the therapist variables demonstrated the nature of the therapeutic interventions as well as the pattern of change across successive psychotherapy sessions. The overall verbal response behavior of each therapist was summarized best through the factor analyses. Communalities and individual differences between the therapists were discussed. Future directions for the study of therapist variables in child psychotherapy process research were indicated.

Imaginative Play in Child Psychotherapy: the Relevance of Merleau-Ponty's Thought

In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the use of imaginative play in child psychotherapy, yet the theoretical conceptualization of the meaning of play is lacking behind its application in practice. In search of a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of imaginative play, the author turns to Merleau-Pontys ontology and to his phenomenology of structure, of the lived body, of perception, and of expression. In light of his work, play is an embodied mode of being in the world and a body-world phenomenon. Imaginative play in particular exemplifies the human order in that it enables the child to create and re-create his own meanings within his play world. In a therapeutic context, the evocation of play imagery and the expressive shaping and reshaping of play meanings lead to surprising insights and new discoveries relevant to the childs life-world. A central therapeutic value of imaginative play lies in its promise for facilitating change and healing. A clinical case illustration of a young boy is provided, and the meaning of his imaginative play is exemplified in light of Merleau-Pontys thought. Some implications are drawn for the theory of play in child psychotherapy.

Interpreting imaginative play in child psychotherapy: Towards a phenomenological hermeneutic approach

Abstract Despite renewed interest and technical advances in play therapy with children, its theoretical basis remains weak. A phenomenological hermeneutic approach to play therapy offers a philosophically grounded theoretical understanding of the meaning of childrens expressions through imaginative play in a therapeutic context. Drawing upon Gadamers ontological concept of play and Ricoeurs theory of interpretation, a childs imaginative play is seen as a text that calls for interpretation. The understanding and interpretation of imaginative play in play therapy is illustrated by means of a case vignette of a young physically abused child.

Jung's concept of the archetype: An existential phenomenological reflection

Abstract The concept of the archetype became the central focus of Jungs analytic psychology. This paper will present some phenomenological reflections on this concept. It will first reason that the archetype is not a phenomenologically acceptable concept by drawing upon the absolutely unconscious nature of the archetypes, their independence from the individuals intentionaliry, and their separateness from Dasein. The paper will then argue that what Jung refers to as “archetypal” images, ideas, and experiences do have phenomenological value. As data pursuant to a phenomenological analysis, they may lead to a better understanding of those psychological experiences that may be common to all of humanity.