Play Therapy

Introduction

During my two part essay I will be outlining and evaluating the significance of Freud's theory of child development, looking at supporting views and critiques for his theory on Child Development. During the second part of my essay I will be exploring the usefulness of play therapy and how it can help children solve their inner conflicts and how it can be used by professionals.

Freud's Theory of child development

Freud's theory of child development is the best known theory but also the most controversial. Freud described child development as a series of psychosexual stages or libido involving the ID, Ego and Superego. The names' given to these stages are Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency and Genital. Freud explained that each stage included the satisfaction of a libidinal desire, that later plays a role in adult personality (Glassman , pp 23-189).



Oral stage

The Oral stage is said to take place at the age of 1 were the focus is on placing everything into the mouth, gaining oral stimulation and gratification from rooting, tasting and sucking. The possible conflict at this stage would be when weaning the child and the child becomes stuck not wanting to move onto the next stage this is called fixation, which leaves the child focused and unable to move to the next stage (McMahon, pp 56-189).

Anal stage

The Anal stage is when a child aged 2 begins toilet training, the focus being on bladder and bowl movements. This is a time when the ID starts conflicting with the Ego and Superego. The child becomes obsessed with the erogenous zones of the anus realising their ability of retention and discharge, the conflict being between the parents and the child. A child may refuse to go to the bathroom and then excrete by a way of punishment to the parent. Outcomes from this stage can be that a child can become anally expulsive or retentive in character, depending on the parental approach (Axline, pp 45-199).

Phallic stage

The Phallic stage starts at 3 onto 5 this is were the Oedipus (male conflict) or Electra (female) conflict takes place the primary focus of the libido is on the genitals, this is a time when children start to understand the difference between girls and boys. This is a time when boys see their father as a rival for the mother's attention. A boy may want to take the place of the father and have wishes to eliminate the father enabling them to take their place with the mother. Freud thought the child feared punishment by the father this was termed 'castration anxiety'. The term for girls having similar feelings was called the Electra complex. To deal with both conflicts the child has to identify with the same-sex parent. Freud said that girls suffered 'penis envy' blaming their mothers for castration. Freud believed that girls remained slightly fixated at this stage (Eysenck, pp 45-289).

Latent stage

The Latent stage at the age of 6 was not considered a psychosexual stage but a quiet ...