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Over the years, Betty Joseph’s classic article has become a recurring part of the course literature in child psychotherapy training in Sweden. Questions about the setting of the playroom, and the therapist’s approach, are as relevant today as when the article was first published.
Joseph emphasises the importance of having a room that is conducive to play yet can withstand the trials and tribulations of having an acting-out child in therapy. She highlights the importance of the therapist being able to feel free without worrying about valuable things being destroyed. Many students and colleagues who need to borrow rooms from others testify to precisely this concern about how the room is treated. When several therapists share the same room, the therapist may feel frustrated about changes and that things may not be in the same place as when they last used it. Even therapists with access to their own room may need to think about its interior design, especially when meeting both children and adults. However, the room needs to be robust and permissive so that the child’s emotions, at different levels, can be expressed, thought about, understood, and worked through. It is crucial that the child feels that the therapist’s mind, as well as the room and equipment, will survive.
Children subjected to violence or abuse often attack the therapist or the room due to anger or anxiety. Joseph emphasises that children, especially younger children, do not express themselves through words but through action, which can sometimes result in things being destroyed or broken. Having furniture that is not perceived as fragile and can be used in different ways is often an asset. For example, a child may want to build a hut out of chairs and tables. The size of the room is also important. For instance, a smaller room can be frightening for a child who has been abused, and the child may feel that there is nowhere to seek shelter or escape, while in a large room, the child may feel abandoned and f