From a clinical psychopedagy to analytical psychotherapy in the Adlerian treatment of childhood disorders

Abstract

This contribution deals in depth with the topic of psychotherapeutic treatment of children, in a context of increasing demand and disorientation, analysing it from an Individual Psychological approach. Starting from the perspective of clinical psychopedagogy, developed by Adler and Dreikurs, the difference between analytically oriented psychotherapy and traditional psychoanalysis is emphasised, with particular attention to the fact that child treatment often cannot be conducted according to traditional models due to economic and time constraints. Playing emerges as an important expressive mode of the child, used in treatment to understand the child’s inner world. The therapist must necessarily adapt his approach, using not only verbal interpretations in response to the child's symbolic content, but also non-verbal techniques with particular reference to playful dramatisation, in order to touch deep unconscious levels of the child's personality, favouring the integration of experiences. The importance of the extended therapeutic environment, which also involves the family and school, is essential to the success of the treatment