Abstract

This case study retrospectively reviews the processes of a therapist and a nine-year-old child in individual drama therapy. The goal of the therapy was to help the child sort through experiences of abuse and abandonment in order to develop a more positive self image. The paper provides a qualitative description of the therapy as seen through the eyes of the therapist. The treatment method was informed by the client-centered theories of play therapy developed by Axline. It combined the techniques of drama and play therapy, incorporating projective play with toys, story-making, role play, art work, and games. These activities generated symbols and metaphors that provided the chief means of communication in the therapeutic relationship. In the course of the treatment, the therapist was forced to redefine her understanding of the client-centered approach in order to maintain safe boundaries. The treatment was evaluated according to the criteria of trauma resolution developed by Gil and Johnson. The child made progress towards separating Self from the abusive Other, thereby developing a clearer sense of his identity, but did not achieve the final stage of reconnection to his environment.