ABSTRACT
Maryann brought her nine-year-old daughter Melanie for individual therapy at the suggestion of Melanie's pediatrician. Over the past eight months Melanie had begun to scratch and pick at the skin on her hands and lower arms, and her condition had worsened to the point she had to wear long-sleeved shirts during the day and gloves at night. (Maryann called for an appointment after the doctor suggested restraining Melanie's hands by tying them to the bedposts at night!) Despite consultations with dermatologists and allergists, no medical explanation could be found to explain Melanie's condition. When asked, Melanie simply stated that her skin "bothered" her. The doctors concurred that her condition was psychosomatic.
