Zur Beziehungsdynamik und Elternarbeit bei Kindern mit Angststörungen

Abstract

Summary On the psychodynamics of childhood anxiety and the importance of working with the parents Childhood anxiety is often triggered by experiences in connection with new developmental stages, whereby the child is unable to overcome the typical development-related fears, which then persist and become chronic. The psychodynamic structures underlying anxiety disorders vary enormously depending on the individual internal conflicts and the capacity of the child to tolerate conflict. Nevertheless, one can observe a typical dyadic pattern of relating in the child’s closest relationships, whereby the child secures the actual presence of his or her carer by way of regressive and anxious behavior. With the help of the caring and protecting reaction from the carer, the child is able to regulate interpersonal and emotional states which have not yet been sufficiently integrated in the child’s internal world. It is essential to include parents in the therapeutic processes so that the relationship pattern is not only understood and changed within the therapeutic relationship but also in the context of the family dynamics as a whole. The parental anxieties in relation to their child must also be taken into account, whereby the therapist must initially take on the role of the third position when confronted with dyadic patterns of relating in families. The goal of such therapy is to enhance the development of triadic functioning in relationships, in which an internal space is made available that allows both the child and the parents to separate and re-connect without being overwhelmed by the fear of loss.