Developed for children and adolescents whose parents are separated or divorced, this game which is part of the ”Lifegames” series, is of use for those who are finding it difficult to cope with or understand the pain and upheaval surrounding separation. The game can be played with groups of siblings, peers or children from reconstituted families and is also suitable for working with individuals. It may be played over consecutive sessions or adapted to the pace of the treatment.

The board game set comprises of a game board, counters, dice and four sets of colour-coded cards arranged in categories corresponding to coloured shapes on the board.

This is part of a series of therapeutic board games, each of which has been carefully developed utilizing an integrative psychotherapy model which incorporates systemic, cognitive-behavioural, humanistic and psychodynamic orientations. A therapist should always be present playing the games, which address factual issues and focus on emotional expression, belief systems, cognitive processes, behavioural responses, relationships, fantasies, memories and dreams. They provide a safe, boundary space where children and adolescents may explore their inner feelings, and can be used to answer questions which children may have been afraid to ask.

Author Bio:

Dr Yvonne Searle, BSc., MPhil., ClinPsyD., CertBehPsych, was a Chartered Clinical Psychologist for the NHS and in private practice in Cambridge.

Dr Isabelle Streng is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and works at the Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.