Adlerian Play Therapy

(AdPT)
Presented by: Maryam Ahmed
Lecturer
IPP, Bahria University
Play Therapy
 the systematic use of a theoretical model
 to establish the interpersonal process
 using the therapeutic powers of play to
help clients
 prevent or resolve psychosocial
difficulties and,
 achieve optimal growth and
development
 Adlerian Play Therapy (AdPT)
 Developed by Terry Kottman in the early 1990s.

 Engagement of children in a therapeutic process,

 Viewing children as creative, resourceful, and whole.

 Combination of the underlying concepts of Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology and the

principles and practices of play therapy.

 Conceptualization through an Adlerian perspective,

 And strategic and systematic usage of directive and nondirective skills and techniques

 In order to facilitate and encourage clients to change their cognitive, affective, behavioral,

and relationship patterns.

Adlerian Play Therapy based on
Alfred Adler’s Individual
Psychology
 BASIC PREMISE OF ADLERIAN’S INDIVIDUAL
PSYCHOLOGY

• Family as a part of context

of the understanding of the
child. • Consider people Holistically.
• Parent Consultation
• Interaction with people in
schools, neighborhood, and
community. (Ecosystem of
the child)

• Purposes of Behaviors
• Goals of Misbehavior
 Lifestyle
Socially Embedded -Perspective of who they are and what
the world is for them, based on
-Social Interest
childhood experiences.
-Creative and Subjective
-Personality Priority (Psychological
Boxes)

Goal Directed Behaviors

Mistaken Beliefs
-Recognizing Goals
-Feelings of Inferiority
-Desire to connect with others and gain
significance
-Crucial C’s (Lew & Bettner)

Basic Goal:
How to modify those mistaken beliefs, and
update their lifestyle
 Goals of Misbehaviors:
(Healthy Positive ways to reach towards those goals)

Proving
Attention Power Revenge
Inadequacy

Competence
Involvement Independence Fairness
(Trust and
(Contributions) (Self Control) (Kindness, Care)
Confidence)
 4 Crucial C’s by Lew and Bettner (1998, 2000)

Courage Competence
Connect Count
(Self-Reliance)
(Cooperation) (Contribution) (Resiliency)

Striving toward goals of misbehavior rather than goals of positive behavior

Perceptions about self and the world

Inaccurate Interpretations

Set form of convictions

Mistaken Beliefs

Self Defeating/Discouraging ideas about self,

others and the world
 Defiant, Argumentative,
Authority and Power
grabbing attitude
Challenged, Angry, Provoked -
Fighting, Forcing, Wanting to be in
control, Punishing

Intensifies behavior, Defiant,

Passive power, has won against
elders “I am important only when
I’m the boss, in control”
“Nobody can stop me”

Example
Goal: Misguided Power
 Major Goals of
Adlerian Play Therapy (AdPT)

1. Enhancement of Social Interest

2. Decrease feelings of Inferiority

3. Recognizing and using personal strengths

4. Make changes in their life goals and in their mistaken beliefs about self, others,
and the world;

5. Gain a sense of equality with others

6. Become cooperative, contributing members of society.

Adlerian A) Power and control issues
play
B) Experienced some kind of trauma
therapy
works well C) Poor self-concepts
with a
variety of D) Difficulty getting along with their families
presenting
problems E) Poor Social Skills
 Creative and
Culture Oriented
emotional expression Individual play and
interactive play

Provide experiences for

children in which they Projective or
can feel successful Verbal and nonverbal
metaphoric play exploration and
expression

Kind of Toys
 Types of Toys

Family - Nurturing
Scary and Aggressive
• Relationship with the therapist
• Explore their understanding of and • Deal with their fears, both reality and
feelings about family relationships fantasy based.
• Family Atmosphere • They can act out being frightened, and
they can protect themselves

Pretend –Fantasy
• explore different roles, express feelings,
• alternative behaviors and different solutions to Expressive
problems, • Explore relationships, portray self-
• pretend to be someone else, and act out real life image, express feelings and cognitions,
situations understand problems, work out
• explore relationships and ideas metaphorically and to solutions, and foster creativity.
communicate about their attitudes, thoughts, and • Mastery and Competence
experiences
 Examples of Toys in your Playroom

• Dollhouse • Magic wand • Weapons • Finger paints

Family-Nurturing Toys

Pretend – Fantasy Toys

Scary and Aggressive Toys

Expressive Toys
• Animal • Human • Soldiers • Crayons
Families figure • Pillows • Markers
• Baby puppets • Plastic Shields • Colored
dolls/Clothes • Handcuffs pencils
• Kitchen set
• Animal
• Plastic snakes • Glue
• Blankets Puppets
• Dinosaurs • Glitter glue
• Cleaning • Telephones •
• Insects Feathers and
Supplies • Knights and pompoms
• Sharks
• Human like Castle • • Newsprint
Alligator
figures • Figures of • Play-Dough or
Alien and clay
Outer space
creatures
Basic beliefs about people must be congruent with
the basic tenets of Individual Psychology:
convictions about the nature of people, personality
formation, human motivation, and the counseling
relationship

DISCLAIMER!!
Phases of Therapy:
First Phase Building a relationship
• Questioning, Tracking, Reflection, Encouragement

Second Phase Exploring the client’s lifestyle,

• Lifestyle, Crucial C’s, Family Constellation & Atmosphere, Earlier Recollection, Goals of Misbehavior
Conceptualization, Identification of personality priorities

Third Phase Helping client gain insight into his or her lifestyle,
• Hypothesis, Interpretations, Metaphors, Art techniques, Confrontation, help the child examine his or her
attitudes, metacommunication, parental insights into their roles and attitudes.

Fourth Phase Reorienting and Reeducating the client

• Teaching of new skills, generalization into different domains of life outside the therapy room.
 1. Building an Egalitarian Relationship
 Shared partnership of power and responsibility – mutual respect and trust; by being consistent,
tolerant, and respectful.
 Therapist and the child, both have input into what happens in the playroom.
 Initial steps: Body language when child enters the room
 Restatement of Content and Reflection to empathize with the child.
 Statements describing the therapeutic partnership
 Let the child know how we perceive the presenting problem; told by parents – objectively.
 Identification of Recognition reflex – an indication of an emotional or cognitive response to a
situation.
 Logistics
Techniques to build Egalitarian
Relationship
Pretend –
Fantasy Play Art Supplies
 Tracking Behavior
Modelling
 Restating Content
 Meta-communicating - metaphors
 Reflecting Feelings, Play Materials and
Techniques Whisper
 Returning Responsibility to the Child Technique
 Interacting Actively With The Child,
 And Cleaning The Room Together
Activities in Role Plays
the playroom
 Encouragement
Recognition Strengths and Deed and the Focus on the Model the courage
for Efforts Assets Joy of Doing positives to be imperfect
2. Exploring the Child’s Lifestyle
• Exploring child’s Lifestyle to better understand the patterns of the
child’s thoughts, emotions, and actions.
• Exploration of family atmosphere, family constellation, early
recollections, and functioning at life tasks
• Assets and Crucial Cs,
• Goals of misbehavior and Mistaken belief
• Personality priorities
 Techniques to Explore Lifestyle
(a) observing the child Pretend – Dolls/Puppet Animal
and parents; Fantasy Play Show Family
(b) asking questions; or
(c) using expressive arts, Rosebush KINETIC FAMILY DRAWING (KFD)
sand tray, or movement Technique OR
activities. FAMILY-CENTERED CIRCLE DRAWING Sand Tray

(d) Music – symphonies,

relatable songs
Enhancing Expressive Arts
Crucial C’s - Collages Role Plays
 Rosebush Technique:
• Guided imagery activity.
• Picture a rose bush in their mind.
• Draw the rose bush as best they can as they.
• A child that needs defenses may draw a fence surrounding the rosebush.
• A child that needs more security and stability in their life may emphasize the roots
and root structure of the bush.
• A child who can both draw the thorns and the full blooming roses may have a better
concept of reality and have a more mature understanding of taking the good in life
with the less desirable.
• The fullness of the blossoms and leaves on the bush indicate the fullness of the child’s
life, as the child perceives it.
• A child who draws a rose bush with only rose buds may be on the verge of great
changes in their lives from the child’s perspective.
• Dead rosebushes, broken limbs, or other indications of a lack of vitality in the
rosebush are indications of the child’s emotional state of depression, hopeless or
despair
The Garden
Early Recollections
 Color
your
Life

Self
Portrait

Story-
telling

Exploring Life Tasks

 Assets
Life Tasks Functioning

Lifestyle Play Themes

Family Constellation
Conceptualization Early Recollection
Goals of Misbehavior
Crucial C’s
Lifestyle Convictions
Private Logic
 3. Helping the Child Gain Insight
• Goal is to help children better understand their assets;
• Their Crucial Cs;
• The goals of their misbehavior;
• Relationships;
• Basic convictions about themselves, others, and the world.
• A sense of clarity about how they use their behaviors to feel a sense of belonging
and significance,
• Reexamination of their perceptions, attitudes, thoughts, feelings, and actions
• Parent’s consultation to change any family dynamics or parenting strategies that
might be supporting destructive behavior patterns
Techniques in helping the child gain Insight
Dance and Directed Role-
Movement Safety Cars Metaphors Mutual Story
Play
Experiences telling

KINETIC ART EXPERIENCES

Creative OR Bibliotherapy
Cartoon DRAWING BODY OUTLINES
Characters

Puppets and
Circles of Enhancing Masks – Magic Evolution
Comfort Crucial C’s Wands
 4. Reorientation and Reeducation
• Teaching-oriented function.
• Enable them to choose more constructive behavior and interactional patterns
• Children learn positive ways to:

1. Perceive the self and the environment

2. Express feelings and behaving in various situations
3. Build relationships with other people
4. Problem solving skills
5. Optimize their assets
6. Master the Crucial Cs
7. Functioning at life tasks
Techniques for Re-orientation and Re-education
Role-Play for
Negotiating
Body Outlines Social Skills boundary Mutual Story
Skills
settings telling

Brainstorming and UNO, Board

Problem Solving Strategies Games Mirror, Mirror
Body Scans

Friendship – Tracing of
Puppets and
sand tray Hands
Masks Role Plays
Ways to Calm yourself:
 Relaxation
 Progressive Relaxation
 Exhalation
 Imagery
 Talking funny
 Yawn on Purpose
 Jiggling
 Paper Bag Breathing
 Bubbles
 Termination Process

Moving away Inform 2-3

Improvement from the sessions prior Consultation
rather than Enhancement limiting to the with parents
complete of Crucial C’s aspects and termination and teachers
transformation moving toward
the strengths (Countdown)
 Thank you.

Feel free to ask any questions🌼