Article

An Analysis of Therapeutic ‘Sensitivity’ in Child Counseling: In the Context of Theraplay

Author

윤미원,신현정

Information

pp. 199~225 / 2012 Vol.19 No.4

Abstract

This study aims to explore the issue of therapeutic ‘sensitivity’ based on Theraplay, one child counselingmethodology, by looking into the interaction between the child, (especially younger children and infants),and the therapist. According to the results, conducted from the phenomenological perspective, therapeutic‘sensitivity’ is comprised of ‘consistency’, ‘immersion’, and ‘trust’. First, ‘consistency’ is described asbelow. The therapist interacts with the child by means of ‘principle consistency’ as to the child's own‘multiple layer principle’ through the unchangeable principle in a variety of different situations. The childthen makes his(her) way from ‘reassurance consistency’, to ‘transitional consistency’, to ‘constitutiveconsistency’. Another factor inherent to therapeutic ‘sensitivity’ is ‘immersion’. Sometimes ‘immersion’resembles ‘indifference’ as well as ‘consideration’ that involving also ‘empathy’, and sometimes this alsoleads to the ‘transformational opportunity’ of another interaction. Moreover therapeutic ‘sensitivity’ alsocontains ‘trust’ that comes from the ontological belief in a child who can be everything, otherwise knownas ‘potentiality’. Furthermore, this study shows what therapeutic mechanisms may enable therapists tointeract with children. One such mechanism is the harmony between ‘principle’ and ‘content’. Another isan ‘open-ended attitude to diversity’. Even though the therapist acts on these principles, he or sheinteracts with a child using a suitable action in very different situations. In order to replicate this, notonly do therapists need training in skillful techniques and constant practice to adapt themselves to manydiverse situations, but they also need the ability to self-reflect as therapists.

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