This paper examines the psychodynamic factors whereby the conflict of interaction in therapies of the early parent–child relationship can be unblocked. The author suggests that the therapeutic effect is due to a 'staging' of the conflict by the child himself in the form

of a dramatic performance. By making his presence felt at a precise and meaningful moment while the parents are giving their account of the situation, the child makes the interactional conflict manifest and allows the therapist to decode the message, to elaborate the emotions projected into him and to interpret the unconscious motivations of the various members of the cast of the 'play'.