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the best of me.” The father reported a history of depression and has an appointment next week with his psychiatrist to get back on medication. He added, “I know I need help. This divorce threw me for a loop. Maria is all I have left.” After cancelling several of Maria’s sessions, the mother
contacted the play therapist. She indicated there is a custody hearing next week and that she will likely be found in Contempt of Court for not sending Maria for visitation in over three months. The mother insisted, “Maria cries and says her stomach hurts the night before she has to go visit him, and I know she doesn’t feel safe with him. What am I supposed to do? I can’t MAKE her
whole family system (Lebow & Rekart, 2007). Maria’s father needs to be an active participant in Maria’s therapy and the play therapist’s role is to foster the nurturing relationships in Maria’s life (APT, 2012). Although Maria had made statements about feeling unsafe with her father, the mother’s potentially alienating behavior toward the father is concerning and should not be overlooked or dismissed (Amato, 2010; Owen & Rhoades, 2012; Portnoy, 2008). In the actual case of Maria, the first author refused to write the
letter and suggested that the mother talk to her attorney about having a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) appointed, since she had concerns about the child’s safety. A GAL was appointed who was able to ensure that the father received the support he needed. The GAL also recognized the mother’s need for therapy to work through her resentment toward the father and to stop alienating Maria from her father. The play therapist provided information to the GAL about the child’s progress in therapy while maintaining appropriate therapeutic boundaries.
Conclusion In cases of potential parental alienation, children present their perceptions of reality, which are often based on negative parental messages (Clarke-Stewart & Brentano, 2006). Play therapists should maintain appropriate therapeutic boundaries and establish collaborative relationships with all the significant adults in a child’s life (APT, 2012). The play therapist can then function within a therapeutic role while relying on the other professionals involved to make custody and visitation recommendations.
References Amato, P. R. (2010). Research on divorce: Continuing trends and new developments. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 650-666. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00723.x
Play therapists should maintain appropriate therapeutic boundaries and establish collaborative relationships with all the significant adults in a child’s life.
go.” The mother asked the play therapist to write a letter to her attorney stating that Maria should not have to go for visitation with her father, because his home is unsafe.
Processing the Case When considering Maria’s circumstances, a play therapist’s role is to provide therapy and facilitate “psychosocial development and positive mental health of clients through play and play therapy” (Association for Play Therapy [APT], 2012, p. 2). In Maria’s case, the play therapist is not serving as a forensic evaluator, and any assessments need to be comprehensive and evaluate the strength and liabilities of the
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Association for Play Therapy. (2012). Play therapy best practices. Retrieved from http://www.a4pt.org/download. cfm?ID=28051
Camastral, S. (2008). No small change: Process-oriented play therapy for children of separating parents. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 29(2), 100-106. doi: 10.1375/anft.29.2.100
Clarke-Stewart, A., & Brentano, C. (2006). Divorce: Causes and consequences. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Fidler, B. J., Bala, N., & Saini, M. A. (2013). Children who resist post-separation parental contact: A differential approach for legal and mental health professionals. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Gardner, R. A. (1985). Recent trends in divorce and custody litigation. The Academy Forum, 29(2) 3-7.
Holst, W. A. (2006, March 24). How the ‘good divorce’ affects children [Review of the book Between two worlds: The inner lives of children of divorce, by E. Marquardt]. National Catholic Reporter, 42(21), 18. Retrieved from http:// natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2006a/ 032406/032406u.htm