Interaction structures as predictors of outcome in a naturalistic study of psychodynamic child psychotherapy.

The first aim of this study was to identify interaction structures (IS), which refer to clusters of items characterizing the course of psychotherapy in terms of reciprocal interaction patterns between the therapist and the child, secondly to assess their trends over the course of treatment, and finally investigate which IS predict outcome in long-term psychodynamic child psychotherapy. The sample included 52 children with externalizing and internalizing problems. 192 sessions were rated with the use of the Child Psychotherapy Q-Set (CPQ).

Mentalization and the growth of symbolic play and affect regulation in psychodynamic therapy for children with behavioral problems.

Children with behavioral problems often have problems with symbolic play organization, specifically with the regulation of negative affect and its representation. One of the aims of psychodynamic therapy with these children is enhancing their symbolic and mentalizing capacities in play. This study investigated the associations between promoting mentalization, and the growth of symbolic play and affect regulation.