One play therapy technique that I would use is to have Ben play with toy figurines of family members, so that he can act out events between family members. I would observe the types of events that are simulated and whether the behavior exhibited by the characters is conducive to a healthy familial relationship. After he has enacted a sequence, I would engage Ben in a dialogue surrounding the consequences of the actions portrayed in the sequence. This exercise would allow Ben to intellectually understand the consequences for the behavior that he exhibits, which will cause him to act with greater foresight and understand his conflicted emotional state. Helping Ben to understand the consequences of his actions borrows from the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and my hope is that the play therapy will result in him using his cognitive faculties to regulate his emotional turmoil. I would also have Ben construct a genogram that includes Isabel, as this would allow him to internalize a complete image of the family...

Research has shown that play therapy is most often successful for children when an adult figure is involved, and I feel that including Isabel will help Ben relate to her in a more productive manner (Bratton et al., 2005). Additionally, my hope is that Isabel will arrive at a greater understanding of why Ben behaves in such an unpredictable manner. With his mother engulfed in terminal illness, it is imperative that Ben come to terms with the fact that Isabel will be his mother, and utilizing the aforementioned play therapy approaches will engender a mutually productive relationship between Ben and his stepmother.