Chapter 4.Play in the Digital Age
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Excerpt
Electronic play can provide an adequate platform for psychodynamic treatment. Dr. Howard conducted play therapy with Jeff almost exclusively through Minecraft for the first 18 months of treatment. Even in this first meeting, it was clear to Dr. Howard that Jeff was managing his isolation, loneliness, and desire for an older boy as mentor by his involvement in the game. Dr. Howard’s willingness to permit the play directly in the treatment was facilitated by a number of factors: he knew the game well and felt confident he could manage whatever might come up in the actual game play; he felt strongly that Jeff was using the game for a range of psychological reasons, many of which would be productive to explore without prejudice; and he was concerned that the parents’ abrupt prohibition would derail the treatment from the outset. Furthermore, Dr. Howard was convinced that Jeff’s life was in Minecraft and that the best way to open the door would be to play the game with him.
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