Expressive Therapy Interventions Part 2

Abstract

Lesser-Katz (1988) does not abandon words completely during play therapy even though the electively mute person does not reciprocate by talking. The therapist’s spoken words are directed at interpreting the child’s feelings. The children whom she studied were found to demonstrate greater mastery over their feelings and a greater sense of security once they learned to express feelings with words. Lesser-Katz (1988) claimed that through the use of words, one does not have to resort to defenses like denial and other avoidance strategies to master the expression of affect.