Dibs in Search of Self Sometimes it takes a handful of individuals to piece together different perspectives to understand where someone comes from. In Dibs in Search of Self (Axline, 1964), there were a variety of people or groups that had some insight as to what Dibs was struggling with, as he was often the child who would sit in the corner of the room, socially removing himself from most situations. When approached by another student, Dibs would oftentimes become defensive. The overall presenting problem for Dibs is that he does not talk, and he does not allow others to get close to him. However, the reason for Dibs’s behavior can be broken down according to a variety of perspectives.
Perspectives of Presenting Problem To begin, Dibs grew up in a home with a mom and dad who had negative feelings toward him. They viewed Dibs as being a problem child and did not have a lot of hope for him. The interactions between Dibs and his mom and dad were greatly influenced by his mom and dad’s perspective of him. Dibs’s mom convinced others that Dibs was mentally retarded and not emotionally disturbed, even though she had known he was emotionally disturbed. Dibs’s mom likely knew that the way she was treating Dibs was unfair and causing a
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Through the child-centered approach, it was hoped that Axline would discover what Dibs needed to work on. Due to the fact that Dibs had baffled so many other professionals, child-centered play therapy would provide Dibs with the space that he needed to work through what it was he thought he needed to work through. Child-centered play therapy sessions encourage the child do engaged in activities that he or she wants to and is ready for, rather than being told what to do. In the past, it was evident that telling Dibs what to do was not always helpful. Child-centered play therapy allowed Dibs with the opportunity to just be himself and not worry about others’ expectations of