Interpretation of imaginative play in child psychotherapy: towards a phenomenological hermeneutical approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33898/rdp.v11i44.525Keywords:
phenomenology, hermeneutics, play therapy, narratives, child therapyAbstract
Despite renewed interest and technical advances in play therapy with children, its theoretical basis remains weak. A phenomenological hermeneutic approach to play therapy offers a philosophically grounded theoretical understanding of the meaning of children’s expressions through imaginative play in a therapeutic context. Drawing upon Gadamer’s ontological concept of play and Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation, a child’s imaginative play is seen as a text that calls for interpretation. The understanding and interpretation of imaginative play in play therapy is illustrated by means of a case vignette of a young physically abused child.
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