A participação dos pais na psicoterapia psicanalítica da criança

Abstract

The aim of this doctoral thesis was to investigate the participation of parents in psychoanalytic psychotherapy of the child through three empirical studies. In the first, experiences of child psychotherapists regarding the inclusion of parents in the treatment were identified. Participants were 76 psychotherapists who answered an online questionnaire. According to the results, the professionals include the parents in the psychoanalytic psychotherapy of the child and the participation of the relatives can present risks and benefits to the process of psychotherapy. In the second, the parents' perception of possible changes in children in the course of their psychodynamic psychotherapies was investigated. Participants were parents of four children who answered a semistructured questionnaire results showed that the changes perceived by the parents were related to the symptoms presented by children, their psychological functioning and interpersonal relationships and external reality. The objective of the third study, through the Systematic Case Study method, was to analyze the impact of parental involvement in the therapeutic process of a child. The findings revealed that the parent interviews had effects on the therapist-child sessions that immediately followed. From the results of the studies it was possible to verify the importance of parental participation in the psychotherapy of children. The inclusion of parents during this process had an impact on the treatment, which may vary depending on the characteristics and difficulties of those involved in the treatment, the alliance established with the therapist and the ability of the therapist to work with the family.