ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of an eight-year-old Danny who began having emotional outbursts and stated he was suffering from depression and having auditory and visual hallucinations. He had been briefly hospitalised due to an overreactive school official who mistook his statements of wishing he were dead as a definite intention to commit suicide. From the mother’s description her relationship with Danny was rather enmeshed with Danny seeing her as his main source of security. If the interaction pattern between Danny and his father is changed it may give Danny more access to feeling secure, as well as shifting the focus of Danny’s mother as being the only one who can help Danny. In follow-up sessions the family related how Danny and his father practised burping together for a few minutes a day. Their belching performances for the mother became more and more elaborate every day.
