GiocoLegame

The physical space to the psychic space: the shark and the journey of the group

Abstract

The discussion deals with the construction of a psychic space that borns by uses real parts of the room as a mental setting of the therapist. The article describes a fundamental issue, common to the setting of child psychotherapy (both group and individual): the importance of physical space, represented by the child’s movements. This space can be transformed into a psychic space, an “imaginary place” where young patients can experience deep fears and anxieties.
The therapist’s countertransference, who moves inside the room and interacts with the children, changes anger and destructiveness in representations such as the volcano, the lava to become “moving emotions” (acted, named, told, in any case lived). These are the foundations for building a mental space, a way towards symbolization.

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