Child-parent relationship therapy A dialogue with Winnicott's theory

The article describes the dynamic creative space formed in a parent-child play hour, which takes place as part of child-parent relationship therapy (CPRT), and examines how the space emerges in parallel processes: The creative play setting and the parenting group sessions held as part of CPTR. Parents engaged in CPRT learn in small groups to implement practices that derive from the undirected play therapy approach. The article examines the CPRT method on the theoretical and clinical approach of D. W. Winnicott. According to Winnicott, play is an existential being. It has a profound meaning, which transcends the boundaries of childhood and the individual and reaches intersubjective existential spaces. The therapeutic process in CPRT occurs in the 2 interconnected spaces: That of parent-child play and that of the parenting group, during which parents can share and process their experiences with the help of the therapist. The present article shows how these spaces can be understood using Winnicott's concepts and how this understanding can enhance the contribution of the therapeutic process in CPRT.