Abstract

FINKEL, Lenira Akcelrud. The mother’s place in the child psychoterapy: an experience of psychological attendance in public health. Psicol. cienc. prof. [online]. 2009, vol.29, n.1, pp.190-203. ISSN 1414-9893.

Child psychotherapy does not vary from adult’s only in the play techniques used during the sessions. The family, mainly the mother, needs to be considered when the child is undergoing therapy. Children therapists meet most of their challenges when approaching the mother, usually considered not only responsible but also guilty for the child’s emotional disturbances. The mother is often routed for individual therapy so that her emotional problems will not interfere in a way to render the child treatment impossible. But they usually refuse such treatment pointing out that the problem resides in the child alone, whose symptoms corroborate that. In the psychological treatment of a child within a hospital, likewise, approaching the mother is a very delicate issue. This paper emphasizes the family role in children psychological treatment, suggesting the mother advising group as a strategy for family inclusion in a public health institution. Based on a psychoanalytical approach, the relation between child, therapy and family is discussed, pointing towards a therapist attitude void of prejudices as a required condition to technical procedure. The adoption of this kind of group work is proposed for psychological support in pediatric wards and intensive care units in public health.

Keywords : Child psychoanalysis; Groups; Public health; Hospital psychology.

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