More Than Words
This chapter proposes the integration of experiential therapy techniques with family treatment for use with families experiencing parent–child contact problems, including parental alienation. This population typically enters family therapy with high levels of defensiveness, treatment resistance, and mistrust of mental health interventions. This situation requires a high degree of clinical flexibility and tools that include, but are not limited to, traditional talk-based techniques. The authors provide a theoretical and clinical rationale for integrating experiential techniques with family therapy. A range of experiential strategies are detailed (e.g. play, recreational therapy, and animal-assisted treatment) as techniques to enhance families’ engagement, relax treatment resistance, impart psychoeducation, and provide opportunities for reconnection. Case material illustrates key points.