Projective Methods in Assesing Family-School Relationship and Children Adapting Abilities

Abstract

In Romania, the psychology domain has gained lots of interest over the years, therefore education can’t be well understood or effectively applied without involving at least the fundamental psychological principles. Education attires the attention versus the concept of „parenting” (the parent’s role in forming a child’s behavior) but also towards school education (the school’s role in developing various learning abilities, at a child). Between family and school there must be a positive, solid, relationship, for assuring the psychological balance of a child. When, for various reasons the link between these two fundamental social contexts, the family and the school, is broken, the negative outcomes will be seen at the child level, by non-specific, dysfunctional, maladaptive behaviors. The objectives of this study were to assess the role of projective psychological methods when dealing with a child’s dysfunctional behavior at school. Qualitative research was based on a 9-year-old boy experience of psychotherapy, having real difficulties adapting to school’s specific educational patterns, also having poor relations with his family members. For working with the subject’s emotional issues, specific psychological projective methods have been used. The results of the psychological work process showed that projective techniques are a valuable resource when dealing with one’s internal world, especially when their communication skills are low (attributable to lower age) or when the person’s emotional blockages are so deep that he itself has difficulties observing or verbalize them.