ABSTRACT
Play is only helpful, both as an assessment communication and a therapeutic endeavor, if it is real play. A critical factor in play, from an emotional point of view, is whether it is spontaneous. It is necessary to consider the theory behind the link between emotional functioning and play. Discussing symbol formation, dead play, and transitional phenomena can be difficult to follow at a conceptual level. These thoughts only come alive if one is in the room with a child who cannot really play. To explore and exemplify this dead play, this chapter presents the cases of two boys, Sam and David. The therapy of both Sam and David demonstrates how their play had a symbolic meaning, but the feelings connected to the symbols were absent. A way the play got in the way was through the fact that it never stopped.
