Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to E C Irwin.
This paper discusses the use and value of spontaneous puppet stories in child assessment. A procedure is described and the emergent form and content of story material are examined. These projective data, in turn, are used to further understand the defensive structure, preoccupations, and conflicts of the child. These psychodynamic concepts are discussed and illustrated through case examples.
An analysis of children's drawings and stories was completed on 60 youngsters--30 of whom were hospitalized for surgery, and a comparison group of 30 with no known history of hospitalization. Data analysis on the stories indicated that the hospitalized group, especially the males, experienced greatly exacerbated fears of injury, lessened self-esteem and increased dependency needs. The drawings of the hospitalized group showed body image distortions and heightened concerns with injury and damage. The opportunity to talk with the nurse examiner was, for most youngsters, a therapeutic experience as they asked questions and talked about their worries.
This paper discusses the developmental continuum of play and its relationship to drama. The functions of drama therapy as a form of child psychotherapy are illustrated through case material, focusing on wish fulfillment, psychic integration, reenactment of past traumatic experiences, transformation from passivity to activity, separation of fantasy and reality, fusion with the idealized or hated parent, defense and mastery. The value of drama therapy is not only in the abreaction it provides, but in the chance to articulate the fantasies through play, experience the working through of the conflicts, and connect the past to the present.
An art-drama therapy group for latency-age boys made possible the exploration of personal symbols and intense fantasies which resulted in a therapeutically powerful and productive experience. This paper describes the background, rationale, and dynamic process of this group. Multimodal expressive arts therapy is supported.
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The author examines the use of drama therapy as a therapeutic and diagnostic tool that can help provide insights into personality and character and aid in the exploration of conflicts of children in therapy.
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