What İs Filial Therapy?

In Filial Therapy, the therapist teaches parents to conduct special non-directive play session with their own children. It was developed by Drs. Bernard and Louise Guerney in the late 1950s. It can be applied to help infants under the age of 3 as well as children up to the age of 14. It can be used to treat the child who has behavioral and emotional difficulties like trauma and abuse, oppositional behavior, grief or parenting problems like difficulty setting limits, lack of warmth and parent-child relationship difficulties within the context of the parent-child relationship. (Topham, Wample, Titus, & Rolling, 2011)

The main idea in filial therapy is teaching limit setting, empathetic responding skills to parents for applying their own children. Firstly, parent and therapist study together. After, child participates in sessions which are observed by the therapist. After the session, the therapist gives feedback to parents about what is wrong, what is true and which skill does improve. So, parents learn how should solve the problem and effectively communicate their child. (Winek, Lambert-Shute, Johnson, Shaw, Krepps, & Wiley, 2003).Approximately they meet four times over 6 weeks. The first meeting is a 1.5-hr orientation, and the remaining meetings are noted as Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3, each of which is a 4-hr block (Wickstrom, 2010).

This approach is applied to increase measures of parents’ empathy toward and acceptance of their children (Landreth & Lobaugh, 1998). In The Training Manual for Parents in Filial Therapy (Ginsberg, 1997, adapted from Guerney, Stover & Guerney, 1972, 1976), main ideas and applications of Filial Therapy are explained like this: “The parent has to have an open mind and be willing to follow the child’s lead, whatever form it takes (including ending the play session). Therefore, it is important that the parent engage in: NO criticism; NO praise approval, encouragement, or reassurance; NO questions, leads or invitations; NO suggestions, advice, or persuasion; NO interruptions or interference; NO information given, unless directly requested by the child [emphasis added]; NO teaching, preaching, or moralizing; NO initiating a new activity. In short, it is important for the parent to establish a setting in which the child and the child alone, set the values and judgments. If the child wants you to participate in the play, it is the child’s job to ask you [emphasis added]” (Ginsberg, 2011)

The Basics: The Four Skills of Filial Therapy

In Filial therapy, parents learn four basic skills;

Structuring; in this session, parents indicate that when the sessions start and end so the child understands these times different from other regular interactions (Henderson & Thompson, 2010) also the parents can say, “We are now in our special place. During the time we are here, you may play with almost anything you wish in almost any way you wish. If there is something you may not do, I will tell you.” (Daneker & Hunter, 2006)

Empathic Listening. In this part, parents develop their understand and accept skills of children needs thoughts and feelings. Parents learn child’s main thought, feelings with nonverbal communication. (Schaefer & O’Connor, 1994)

Child-Centered Imaginary Play; In this session, parents engage pretend to play with child directions so they learn to act out different roles (Schaefer & O’Connor, 1994). Generally, child-centered imaginary play involves vision quest and us mere watchers. The adult should watch and follow during the symbolic play of Filial Therapy. It is important parents should be non-directive (Daneker & Hunter, 2006)

Limit Setting; In this session, parents set some rules so the child understands that what is his boundaries. This session has three steps. For example; there is a child and he throws something from the window. Firstly; I should state boundaries clearly after I should warn him and tell what is the consequences of his behavior and lastly if he keeps going his unwanted behavior I should enforce the consequences. (Schaefer & O’Connor, 1994) Aggression should be allowed to play out, however, large-scale destruction of the toys and play area is inappropriate (Daneker & Hunter, 2006). Essential Features of Filial Therapy

1-) The client is the relationship, Not the individual; In the other aspects generally emphasize the identification of a single client. For example, when a child has a problem, parents or child come to therapy but sometimes it is not adequate to find and solve the root of the problems. According to the filial therapist, the relationship is so important and an unhealthy relationship can cause a lot of problems so the relationship between child and parent is the most important thing in filial therapy.

2-) Empathy is Essential for Growth and Change; In filial therapy, therapist try to provide empathy to adults and children alike

3-) The entire family is involved whenever possible; All of the relationships in the family are important for filial therapy aspect. The therapist encourages both parents to participate in the process and observe each other’s play sessions and feedback.

4-)A psychoeducational training model is used with parents; The aim of psycho-educational training model is to estimates of the client’s intellectual, or cognitive, abilities and educational achievement levels. (Bell) The model uses four key elements; (1) explanation, (2) demonstration,(3) skill practice and (4) individualized feedback. Therapists explain the methods of each skill thought the parents. They demonstrate this skill and after therapist discusses the parent session (what was wrong? , what skill should develop ?…)

5-)Therapist provide live supervision of parent’s early filial therapy session; ıt is really important for filial therapy. Some practices cannot work and parent cannot know ‘how should s/he continue session?’ but when the therapist provides live supervision, this problem solves.

6-)The process truly collaborative; The relationship between a therapist and parent during filial therapy sessions should be collegial; listening, sharing of ideas, collaboratively deciding an option. If therapy continues as this maximum yield can provide. (VanFleet, 2011)

Kaynakça:

1. Bell, S. M. Psychoeducational Assessment How to Read, Understand, and Use Psychoeducational Reports. KEYS TO EFFECTIVE LD TEACHING PRACTICE (s. 24). içinde

2. Daneker, D., & Hunter, B. (2006). Filial Therapy: Culturally Sensitive Intervention for Children and their Parents.

3. Ginsberg, B. G. (2011). Congruence in Nondirective Play and Filial Therapy: Response to Ryan and Courtney. International Journal of Play Therapy.

4. Henderson, D., & Thompson, C. L. (2010). Counseling Children. Cengage Learning.

5. Landreth, G., & Lobaugh, F. (1998). Filial therapy with incarcerated fathers: Effects on parental acceptance of child, parental stress,and child adjustment. Journal of Counseling and Development.

6. Schaefer, C. E., & O’Connor, K. J. (1994). Handbook of Play Therapy, Advances and Innovations. John Wiley & Sons.

7. Topham, G. L., Wample, K. S., Titus, G., & Rolling, E. (2011). Predicting Parent and Child Outcomes of a Filial Therapy Program. International Journal of Play Therapy.

8. VanFleet, R. (2011). Filial Therapy; What every therapist should know. Play Therapy; Magazine of British Association of Play Therapy , 66,7-10.

9. Wickstrom, A. C. (2010). The Development of an Advanced Filial Therapy Model. International Journal of Play Therapy.

10. Winek, J., Lambert-Shute, J., Johnson, L., Shaw, L., Krepps, J., & Wiley, K. (2003). DISCOVERING THE MOMENTS OF MOVEMENT IN FILIAL THERAPY: A SINGLE CASE QUALITATIVE STUDY. International Journal of Play Therapy.

11. www.playtherapy.org.uk.

Lütfiye Nur AKKOÇ / Psikolog 

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