Play Therapy and Melanie Klein

Photo by Melanie Klein Trust

Reading the bibliography on play therapy one realizes that many different schools exist. Some of them are directive, some non - directive, some take into account the unconscious processes of the child and others believe in the active involvement of the parents in the therapeutic process. One of the most influential and important schools of play therapy was founded by Melanie Klein, a great pioneer in the field.

Who was Melanie Klein?

Melanie Klein was an Austrian psychoanalyst born in Wien in 1882. She started her analysis with Sandor Ferenczi while she was living in Budapest. In 1921 she moved to Berlin where she continued her analysis with Karl Abraham. In spite of the fact that Abraham supported her work, Berlin was not a very welcoming place for Melanie Klein. Her lack of academic background and the fact that she was a woman among men made it difficult for her to be accepted. 

In 1926 Ernest Jones paid attention to her work and invited her to teach in London. She accepted his invitation and moved to London where she lived and worked until her death in 1960. When Sigmund Freud and his daughter Anna migrated to Great Britain due to World War II the ideas of Melanie Klein came into contrast with theirs. After prolonged controversies during the 1940’s the British Psychoanalytical Society was divided into three groups: 1) Freudians 2) Kleinians and 3) independent. These groups remain until now.

What was Melanie Klein’s approach?

Melanie Klein developed a special technique in play therapy through which children could express their unconscious thoughts. She paid attention to the meaning of each child’s play, the fantasies being expressed and the relationship that the child built with the therapist. According to M. Klein the child reenacted in the relationship with the therapist important moments of the relationship with the parents (transference). This could be an opportunity for the child to realize certain unconscious emotions and process them.

Furthermore, M. Klein believed that every play therapist should include toys in the therapeutic session that would help children express their imagination. These toys included puppets, water cups, pencils, drawing paper, play dough and any other kind of material that the child could manipulate easily. She also suggested the therapist should be willing to enact any role that the child would give them. For example the child could be the strict teacher and the analyst the naughty child or the child could be the mother and the analyst could be the baby. In modern times the setting of play therapy is more or less how M. Klein described it.

What is your opinion on Melanie Klein and her work? Please share in the comments below.

Introduction to Play Therapy

What is play therapy? 

Photo by en.wikipedia.org

Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy that helps children overcome their emotional difficulties through play. In play therapy the therapist cultivates a trusting and respectful relationship with the child. He provides a safe context whereby the child can process their feelings, thoughts, fantasies, experiences and traumas. Through interaction in the therapeutic relationship the therapist can recognize what are the possible problems of a child and what would be the best way to address them.

History: The importance of play has been underlined by various philosophers and psychologists through the centuries. Plato was the first one to say that "you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation". 

In the 18th century Rousseau emphasized the importance of playing for the understanding of children. Friedrich Frobel in the beginning of 20th century spoke about the symbolic meaning of playing and how it can help understand a child’s behavior. Freud was the first one who talked about children’s therapy in the case of “Little Hans” (1909). Hans was a young boy suffering from a phobia. Freud saw the child once and then advised his father to take notes of his play.  The case of “Little Hans” was the first time that a child’s problems were connected to emotional factors.

In 1919 Melanie Klein started using play as a form of therapy in order to analyze children younger than six years old.  She believed that child’s free play was similar to free association in adults and therefore could be seen as a method to understand the child’s unconscious processes. Anna Freud, Freud’s daughter, also implemented play therapy as a way to understand and help children. In the 1950s, Virginia Axline expanded on the ideas of her mentor Carl Rogers and established the non- directive play therapy. She suggested that play therapy could only be helpful if the therapist allowed children to express themselves in their own terms, in their own time and in their own way.

How does play therapy work? 

During play therapy children are provided with toys (play dough, pencils and markers, doll house, cars, puppets) in order to play and interact with the therapist. Through this material the child expresses their inner fears, conflicts and emotional problems. By expressing their internal world children learn new things about themselves and develop new ways to cope with difficult situations in a safe and trusted environment.

Which problems does play therapy address?

Children don’t always have the words to express their feelings and this makes it more difficult to cope with stressful situations. In this case, play therapy can be one way to help the child process stressful events such as ADHD, anxiety/fears, conduct disorders, abuse issues, aggression, post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-esteem, poor social skills, impulsivity, learning difficulties, and trauma and grief.

Non- directive/ directive play therapy

Play therapy can be divided into two main categories, non- directive and directive. In the non- directive play therapy the therapist does not intervene in the process and allows the child to express their emotions in their own way. By playing free in a safe setting the child works through their internal conflicts and possible ways to resolve them. In directive play therapy the therapist is guiding the process and is proposing toys, themes and situations to be enacted. Theorists of this school believe that children may need more structure and guidance in order to process traumatic experiences. Psychodynamic and person-centered therapy can be regarded as a form of non-directive play therapy whereas cognitive behavioral therapy can be regarded as a form of directive play therapy.

How long does play therapy take?

The length of play therapy can vary according to the problems that the child faces, the cooperation of the parents and the motivation of the child. It can last from 3- 6 months to 1-2 years. The sessions are usually weekly and there is close cooperation with the parents throughout the whole process. In psychodynamic play therapy the symptoms of the child may vanish quickly but the family and the therapist realize that behind the symptoms are deeper problems that need to be addressed.

What is the role of family in play therapy?

The cooperation with the family is crucial to the outcome of the therapy. The more the parents realize their role in the family dynamics the better for the progress of the therapy. The therapist discusses with the parents possible ways of cooperation and they decide together what may be the best solution. Sometimes it can be parents’ counseling in order to help them improve their communication with the child and set specific rules. Other times parents themselves may need couple therapy in order to address some of their own issues that intervene with their parenting.

What is your opinion on Play Therapy? Please share in the comments below.