QUESTIONNAIRE NO.

6
TOPIC 6 – ADLERIAN PLAY THERAPY

1- What is Adlerian Play Therapy?

Adlerian play therapy is an active and directive approach to therapeutic work with children that uses play (toys,
stories, art, theater, puppets and role-playing) as a vehicle for communication; This combines the theoretical
constructs and some of the therapeutic intervention strategies of Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology with the
basic premises of play therapy.

2- What are the functions of the Adlerian Play therapist?

ψ Establish an equal relationship with the child, parents, teachers, and other important people in the
child's life.
ψ Explore the child's thoughts, feelings, behaviors, relationships and attitudes.
ψ Explore the child's perceptions of himself, others and the world.
ψ Explore the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, relationships and attitudes of parents and other important
people in the child's life.
ψ Develop a conceptualization about the intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics of the child and his
parents, other family members or his teachers.
ψ Generate a treatment plan for the child (and, if necessary, for the parents and teachers).
ψ Work to help the child gain insight into their intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics, and make
new decisions about themselves, the world, and others.
ψ Help the child learn and practice new interpersonal skills.
ψ Provide consultation to parents and teachers with the purpose of helping them cultivate positive
perspectives about the child and practice more constructive ways of relating to the child.

3- What are the constructs of Adlerian Play Therapy based on?

The important theoretical constructs of Adlerian play therapy are based on Adler's assertion that individuals are
socially integrated, goal-oriented, subjective, and creative beings.

4- What are the basic constructs or principles of Individual Psychology? What do each one consist
of?

ψ People are socially integrated: meaning they have a need to belong. Children decide how to gain
relevance for themselves and how to fit into different groups by observing the reaction of others to their
behavior. Because the family is the first group to which children belong, Adlerian play therapists spend
 time observing children in the context of their family and gathering information about family dynamics.
If children are not successful in their prosocial and constructive attempts to find a place in their families
or other groups of people, they begin to strive for belonging in negative and self-destructive ways.
Therefore, in Adlerian play therapy, therapists continually assess how children make connections and
gain a sense of relevance in their families, schools, and communities in order to design intervention
programs that help them improve their ability to establish a positive connection with others; and they
explore how the child learned to belong considering the family constellation and atmosphere.
ψ People are goal-oriented: A key construct of Adlerian play therapy is that all human behavior is
purposeful and goal-oriented. In contrast to other psychological theories based on the premise that
people are motivated by instincts or are shaped solely by experience, heredity, or environment, Adler
believed that people are motivated by their desire to advance toward a variety of goals. of life and who
choose their behaviors as a means to advance toward those goals. The Adlerian therapist examines
clients' behavior to discover the goals underlying their behavior. As the therapist helps clients explore
the purposes of their behavior, they have the opportunity to consciously decide whether to continue
striving toward those purposes.
ψ People view reality subjectively Adlerians believe in a phenomenological view of the world in which
people have unique interpretations about specific situations and interactions, meaning that each person
who participates in an experience has their own way of interpreting circumstances and the relationship.
Parents, children and teachers each have different views of relationships and situations. Adlerian play
therapists must always be aware of such subjective interpretations. As the play therapist examines
different perspectives, he or she must remember that there is no one correct interpretation of reality. The
child is the primary client and the therapist must give greater weight to his or her perspective in an effort
to understand how he or she is interpreting the events and interactions in his or her life.
ψ People are creative beings : in Individual Psychology each person is unique and by making choices
they constantly express a creative capacity. Adlerians emphasize self-determination in the therapeutic
process by recognizing that each individual has the ability to make choices about his or her unique
interpretation of situations and relationships and to act as if those interpretations are true. Adlerian play
therapists' faith in their clients' ability to make creative decisions is the basis for working with children,
parents and teachers to modify their lifestyle patterns, increase social interest, shift toward goals. of
more positive behavior, capitalizing on their assets and learning new patterns of behavior and
relationships. Part of the process of Adlerian play therapy and consultation with parents and teachers is
helping children appreciate their uniqueness and helping parents and teachers learn to celebrate their and
their children's strengths.

5- How are Dreikurs and Soltz's goals used by Adlerian play therapists?
Adlerian play therapists can use the goals of Dreikurs and Soltz as a way to guide how they will respond to the
child in the playroom. When the Adlerian play therapist realizes that the child's goal is power, he or she works
harder to ensure that power is shared in the playroom, emphasizing that they should take turns, treat others with
respect. , and so on. The Adlerian play therapist also uses these misbehavior goals as a way to help the parent
interact with the child differently. Another strategy used by Adlerian play therapists is to encourage children to
replace negative and destructive goals with positive and constructive goals.

6- What is the main goal in each stage of Adlerian play therapy? What techniques are used?

ψ First phase – Building an equal relationship: The main goal of this stage is to build an equal
relationship with the child. Adlerians believe that relationship is the essential foundation for successful
therapy. In this phase, the play therapist uses:
 Monitoring (telling the child what he or she is doing).
 Rethinking the content (paraphrasing and summarizing it),
 The reflection of feelings
 The return of responsibility.
 Encouraging it is a particularly Adlerian therapeutic strategy, which is essential in the four phases of
Adlerian play therapy.

ψ Second Phase - Exploring the Child's Lifestyle: In this stage the goal of the play therapy process is to
explore the child's lifestyle so that the therapist can gain a clear understanding of the child's
interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics. To achieve this use:

 Art Techniques: Drawing techniques such as Family Kinetic Drawing and School Kinetic
Drawing, Family Centered Circle Drawing, Rosebush Drawing, and other art techniques can
reveal patterns in family interactions; images of self, others and the world; wrong beliefs; and
ways of gaining belonging and significance. For children who do not like to draw, the therapist
can show flexibility and ask them to use some other means to explore these factors. It is essential
to match the child's inclinations with the mode of expression; Play dough, painting, puppet
theater, and pipe cleaner sculptures are just a few ways to invite your child to use sensory media
to communicate about their situation and relationships.

 Interrogation strategies and observation of game patterns.

 Asking to recall early memories: A uniquely Adlerian technique for learning about a child's
world is to ask the child to recall early memories; it is important to elicit enough initial memories
(usually six to eight) so that a pattern can emerge. Interpreting early memories helps counselors
 understand their clients' lifestyles. Many Adlerian play therapists ask children to say, draw, or
paint their earliest memories to help them understand lifestyles, mistaken beliefs, social
interactions, C's, personality priorities, and behavioral goals. of the kids.

ψ Third Phase - Help the child gain insight into his or her lifestyle: The goal of this stage is to help the
child gain insight into his or her lifestyle through greater understanding of interpersonal and
intrapersonal dynamics. In this phase, techniques such as:
 In metacommunication , the therapist steps away from the interaction between himself and the child to
communicate about communication. Metacommunication involves the play therapist making
interpretations about the patterns in the interaction patterns between the therapist and the child, the
verbal communication on the part of the child, the child's reactions to the counselor's statements and
questions, and the meaning that It underlies the child's play and verbalizations. Adlerian play therapists
can use metacommunication about these patterns to help children become more aware of communication
patterns to give them the opportunity to make changes in the way they interact with others.
 “Spitting in the soup,” the therapist points out situations in which the child acts as if self-defeating
beliefs about the self, others, and the world are true even when they are not. Often, the best way to spit
into a child's soup in play therapy is to use humor or jokes to let the child know that his or her
perceptions and behavior may not be helpful.
 Metaphorical techniques: the therapist takes advantage of children's natural communication to help
them gain insight into their lifestyles, when a child uses metaphors or stories to convey information
about some experiences, the play therapist enters the story that the child is relating to ask questions,
meta-communicate about lifestyle issues, and make suggestions about different ways to handle
situations.
 Adlerian version of mutual story telling , in which play therapists search the child's story for lifestyle
patterns and themes, crucial Cs, personality priorities, and problem-solving strategies, and then use story
retelling to emphasize assets, teach problem solving, suggest more prosocial behavioral goals, and
encourage critical Cs. Two other ways to use storytelling to help children gain insight are superhero
stories.
 Bibliotherapy: the use of children's books as an indirect means of encouraging children to reexamine
their attitudes and behaviors.

ψ Fourth phase – Reorientation or reeducation : This stage is designed to help children learn and
practice more positive attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, feelings and behaviors. The therapist employs
various teaching strategies (such as modeling, brainstorming, role-playing, therapeutic metaphors) to
help the child grow in positive directions. This phase includes many directive techniques designed to
 help the child learn problem-solving skills, social skills, negotiation skills, and other skills that are
lacking in his or her behavioral repertoire.

7- What therapeutic powers does Adlerian Play Therapy emphasize?

Adlerian play therapy uses all the therapeutic powers indicated by Schaefer (1993) and Schaefer and Drewes
(2009), although it places special emphasis on direct and indirect teaching, competition and self-control,
building rapport and improving the relationship. , behavioral rehearsal, power/control and creative problem
solving.

8- What is the role of the therapist in each stage of Adlerian Play Therapy?

In the process of Adlerian play therapy, the therapist plays the roles of partner, encourager and teacher to
children, parents, teachers and siblings. However, the manifestation of this role changes depending on the phase
of the therapeutic process:

ψ First phase of therapy , in this the therapist's main task is to build the relationship with the child and
with any important individuals in his or her life, such as parents and teachers. The therapist usually is
not directive with the child but rather follows his or her guidance. In the interest of establishing an equal
relationship, the therapist encourages the child to make many of the decisions in the playroom and
works to create an atmosphere of teamwork and cooperation. When working with the adults in the
child's life, the therapist focuses on building a caring relationship, listening to their concerns, and
looking for ways to provide encouragement and guidance.
ψ Second phase of therapy , the therapist is much more active and directive in the process of exploring
the child's lifestyle, asking questions, observing, making conjectures and asking the child to tell stories,
draw, do puppet shows and narrate his or her experiences. first memories The therapist asks parents and
teachers for information about their perceptions of the child's lifestyle, information related to their own
lifestyles, and impressions about interactions between the child's lifestyle and the lifestyles of significant
others. in the life of the minor. The therapist collects information about perceptions, attitudes, cognitive
patterns, emotions, relationships, self-concept, and other factors that could influence the way the child
sees himself, others, and the world; He then uses the information and impressions gathered in this phase
to develop a lifestyle conception and a treatment plan that structures the rest of the therapeutic process.
ψ Third phase of therapy , the therapist continues to be active in the playroom and uses interpretation,
tentative hypotheses, storytelling, and art to help the child gain insight into erroneous beliefs, goals of
misbehavior, and other factors that could be causing difficulties or leading to bad behavior. The therapist
is often confrontational and directive, questioning self-destructive patterns and beliefs, and making
assumptions about discrepancies between words and behaviors, between the client's verbal and
nonverbal communication.
 ψ Fourth phase of therapy , the therapist's primary role is to work actively and directively to help
reorient and reeducate clients by teaching them new skills and encouraging them to strive and progress.
The therapist can help children acquire new strategies for interacting with others and coping with life by
using art, storytelling, role-playing, problem-solving strategies, and supporting the development of new
skills in areas such as assertiveness, negotiation, social interactions, parenting and classroom
management.

9- What is the role of parents in Adlerian Play Therapy?

Whenever possible, in each phase the play therapist involves the parents in a process analogous to the
therapeutic interaction with the child:

ψ During the first phase , the play therapist works to create an equal relationship with the parents,
striving to build a collaborative relationship designed to support any changes the child decides to make
and to foster the parents' growth toward positive parenting.
ψ In the second phase , the therapist has two different tasks: to investigate the parents' perception of the
child's lifestyle and their own lifestyles, and to strive to understand the child and the parents and the way
they interact with each other. At the end of the second phase, the therapist makes a treatment plan for the
parents if this can be useful for the therapy process.
ψ The third phase involves the therapist helping the parents gain insight about their child and themselves;
helps them learn more positive ways of thinking and interacting with their child while exploring how
their own issues may be preventing them from providing the understanding and structure needed for
their child to grow up mentally healthy and strong.
ψ The fourth stage of parent intervention emphasizes teaching parents parenting skills, new ways of
thinking about their children, and helping them resolve personal problems that may be interfering with
their ability to be as good a parent as they can be.

10- What are the clinical applications of Adlerian Play Therapy?

Adlerian play therapy can be used with children experiencing different difficulties because it is tailored to the
specific client and their problem, their family circumstances, and their current life experiences. According to
research, Adlerian play therapy appears to be particularly effective with children who exhibit conduct problems,
impulsive behaviors, and difficulties in peer relationships; children facing difficult situations (such as parental
divorce, death of a family member, etc.); children with problems related to power and control, children who
have problems at school, children with low self-esteem; depressed, perfectionist or anxious children; and
children who have suffered some type of trauma.