Merging and emerging realities: simultaneous treatment of parent and child

The purpose of this paper is to invite dialogue concerning the variety of modalities possible in the spectrum of child treatment. Many issues remain to be discussed, such as the child's need to possess the therapist entirely, and the role of other family members. Countertransference issues for the therapist are complex and involve the risk of dual loyalties. Simultaneous treatment shares these concerns with other modalities in the spectrum of child treatment. In simultaneous treatment, as parent and child come to share an experience of being cared for, the possibility arises for the dissolution of polarities. Representations of the past give way to adaptations to current reality. Both the parent's and the child's feelings of rage are contained within the therapeutic matrix of relationships; boundaries are maintained to permit repair and growth. Both parent and child reach new levels of integration as the therapist reinforces boundaries and does not permit intrusion by either the parent or the child into the others arena of playful construction.