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Use of Projection Using The Oaklander Model - Condensed

The document discusses the Oaklander model of gestalt therapy for children, focusing on the use of projective exercises in a four-part process and different levels of processing to strengthen a child's sense of self while allowing expression. It provides guidance for therapists on managing therapy sessions, including building the therapeutic relationship, communication techniques, addressing contact and resistance, and adapting techniques based on the child's energy and needs.

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299 views

Use of Projection Using The Oaklander Model - Condensed

The document discusses the Oaklander model of gestalt therapy for children, focusing on the use of projective exercises in a four-part process and different levels of processing to strengthen a child's sense of self while allowing expression. It provides guidance for therapists on managing therapy sessions, including building the therapeutic relationship, communication techniques, addressing contact and resistance, and adapting techniques based on the child's energy and needs.

Uploaded by

marijanaaaa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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USE OF PROJECTION AND

Karen Fried, Psy.D., MFT


MANAGING THE SESSIONS: Oaklandertraining.org
USING THE OAKLANDER MODEL

VIOLET OAKLANDER, PHD, AND


THE OAKLANDER MODEL
Gestalt therapy with children
Windows to Our Children, translated
in 14 languages – “The Bible”
Began as a teacher in special education
classrooms
Trained thousands of therapists in the
US and internationally
Violet Solomon Oaklander Foundation
- vsof.org
EMERGENCE OF A GLOBAL
PANDEMIC
COVID-19 spread worldwide
Work and school online
Mental health for families and children a primary concern
Accelerating the need for telehealth and online tools

WORK SCHOOL SOCIALIZING

“JUST FOR NOW” – APPLICATION


OF THE OAKLANDER MODEL
DURING THE PANDEMIC
Series of articles on how to
work with children, teens, and
parents during this time:

• VIRTUAL USE OF THE


OAKLANDER MODEL IN A
TIME OF CRISIS
• TEENS: THE FULL NEST
• WORKING WITH PARENTS
WHAT IS GESTALT THERAPY
WITH CHILDREN?
I/Thou Relationship Organismic Self-Regulation
Contact and Resistance Emotions
Awareness and Experience Introjection, Confluence
Deflection,Retroflection
Senses and Body
Self-Nurturing
Sense of Self
Polarities
Contact/Boundary Disturbances
Unfinished Business

19

WHAT BRINGS CHILDREN INTO


THERAPY
Difficulty Making Good Contact

Poor Sense of Self


WELCOME BACK –
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
Reviewing the four-part process using the Oaklander model

Different levels of processing

Managing the session

PROJECTIVE EXERCISES AND THE


FOUR-PART PROCESS
PROJECTIVE EXERCISES -
PURPOSE
1. Allows children to have an experience that accesses and
expresses their feelings
2. Strengthens sense of self by
Creating the images
Talking about them, what they like, don’t like, wish for
Giving them the opportunity to own the projection

PROJECTIVE EXERCISES – FOUR


PART PROCESS
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
PROCESSING

EACH LEVEL PROVIDES AN


EXPERIENCE
Each level of working with the projective activities is therapeutic
for the child.
Each level increases the amount of awareness and engagement for
the client.
According to Violet: “Experience is far more important than
awareness in work with children.
Pay attention to what’s going on inside of you.
LEVEL 1: MAKE THE SCENE

Making the scene enables:


Expression of the self or feeling
Establishes one’s identity to oneself

LEVEL 2: SHARE THE EXPERIENCE


OF MAKING THE SCENE
Increases the level of contact with the experience and the
therapist.
Observe the client’s process; did they rush, go very slowly, get
frustrated, make contact with you in some way?
Ask them to share:
Their feelings while drawing, making the sand tray, etc.
Their process
LEVEL 3: SHARE THE SCENE

Ask the client to:


Describe the scene (sand tray, clay object, etc.) in the person’s own
way

LEVEL 4: ELABORATE ON THE


PARTS OF THE SCENE ON A
DEEPER LEVEL
Make the parts clearer and more obvious
Describe the shapes, forms, colors, objects people
Watch for missing parts or spaces. Invite the client to “be” the
empty part or space.
LEVEL 5: DESCRIBE THE SCENE
USING ‘I’
Describe the picture using ‘I’
Ask the client to “be” a part of the picture in the present.
Describe specific things in the picture as ‘I’
“Be the blue square and describe yourself in more detail, what you
look like, what your function is.”

LEVEL 6: DEEPENING THE WORK

Ask questions to aid the process. “What do you do as the blue


square?”
Further focus attention by emphasis and exaggeration of a part of
the picture. “What is it like to be the blue square?”
Dialogue between two parts. “What would the blue square say to
the girl?”
OBSERVATIONS TO GUIDE THE
PROCESS
Watch for cues in voice tone, body posture, facial expression,
breathing, silence. Silence can mean censoring, thinking,
remembering repression, anxiety, fear, or awareness of something.

LEVEL 7: OWNING

Lead to owning of what has been said.


“Does this fit in your life in any way?”
“Do you ever feel that way?”
“Could you say that for you?”

The client may say ”no.”


This can be due to resistance and the need to strengthen their
sense of self.
Even without owning, the client can benefit from the experience.
LEVEL 8: APPLYING THIS WORK
TO THEIR LIFE
Leave the scene and move onto life situations that come up.

MANAGING THE SESSION


THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP

Conduct the session with no expectations.


After an emotional session, consider reducing the intensity of the
following one.
When kids cry, keep going.
Therapy is a dance: sometimes the therapist leads, sometimes the
child leads.

COMMUNICATION

When asking important questions, be casual and soft/light in tone.


Whenever possible, make statements for the child to accept or
reject, instead of asking questions. “I bet that made you mad!”
When asking the child to own something, you may need to give
examples.
Metaphors are powerful tools. Tell a story with a similar theme to
the child’s life. Or tell about yourself, or someone you know, or
another client with the same situation and how they felt about it.
CONTACT AND RESISTANCE

Always watch the child’s energy. This gives you clues regarding the
breaking of contact and resistance settling in.
Remember that resistance is the child’s ally.
Resistance is the breaking of contact – it may mean, “This is
enough for now– this is all I can handle right now.”

TECHNIQUE

Negotiate regarding time spent in the session if necessary:


“We’ll do something I suggest in the first half and play that game
the second half.” You can use a timer.
Interpretation serves no purpose. Try using hunches or guesses
that the child can accept or reject.
If you see the same theme over and over, this may tell you that
there is something you need to check out.

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