Release of Aggressions Through Play Therapy for a Ten-Year-Old Patient at a Child Guidance Clinic

The mother, Mrs. D., came to the agency by appointment having been referred by an ophthalmologist and by a friend whose son is a Center patient. Mrs. D. brought her son, Bob, in because of “facial tics.” Both she and the father “get after him often for it. We tell him there is no reason for him to do it.” Mrs. D. states their ophthalmologist told the parents that he cannot say definitely whether the patient's tics are due to his eyes or whether it is a “nervous” condition. She added, “If it isn't his eyes, we thought maybe that it's because he's the middle child.” She added that when the patient was about six he used to open his eyes very wide, whirl them around and acted as if they might feel dry. She also notices Bob's tics when he is reading or resting. He seems to throw his head to one side and brushes his hand over his brow as if his hair were in his eyes. The patient has also been spitting a lot lately.

Mr. and Mrs. D. were married sixteen years ago when they were 26 and 23 years old, respectively. The mother plays the more aggressive role but there seems to be a good marital adjustment.

There are three children of whom Alice, aged 14, is the oldest. She is a friendly, healthy looking girl with somewhat large and coarse features. According to her teachers she is unusually bright and talented, gets all “A's” in high school and seems to be well-liked by everyone. Mrs. D., however, resents her “impertinence”. Despite the patient's obvious hostility for his sister which was both verbalized and displayed in play situations, Alice is rather proud of Bob and there seems to be a relatively good relationship between them.

Ted, the six-year-old youngest sibling, seems to be taking much of Bob's aggressions fairly well. This is probably due to the fact that Ted has considerable security in his relationship with his mother. He too, seems rather proud of Bob and looks up to him.

The patient's developmental history is essentially negative. The pregnancy was full-term, the deliv