ABSTRACT
Fantasy play most always takes on a significant role within individual psychotherapy with children. Its function or importance in any particular instance is dependent on the age and developmental capacities of the child in question. Early in the evolution of psychoanalysis and then, subsequently, psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy, adapting the theory and technique of individual work with adults to the emotional and cognitive abilities of children was a challenging and important step. This “adaptation” was the incorporation of the use of play into the consultation room. George Moran (1987), summarized the developmental aspects of play by describing it as “crucial for the child’s acquisition of the capacity to differentiate ‘me’ and ‘not-me’ experiences, self and object representations, and fantasy and reality.” Fantasy play is therefore critical to the intrapsychic and interpersonal development of children. It “offers opportunities to gratify wishes and work through conflicts which are not permitted gratification in reality.” Understood in this way, play has become the necessary vehicle which allows therapists to engage children in the therapeutic process, and gain access to their inner world of delights, fears, and conflicts.
