WHEN CHILDREN SPEAK THROUGH BAHAVIOUR: STRESS AND AFFECT REGULATION IN FAMILY THERAPY

Abstract

Behavioral and emotional problems in children, including aggression, often point to a dysregulated family system. Stress and affect in the family are transmitted relationally, so the child often becomes the bearer of symptoms of broader family dynamics. Family therapy enables an understanding of these difficulties within a systemic context and focuses on stress regulation in parents and affect regulation across the entire family. Measuring heart coherence can be a useful indicator of physiological self-regulation, and in children, projective techniques help with recognizing, expressing, and regulating emotions. The goal of this approach is to reduce symptoms in the child and establish more regulated and connected relationships within the family system, which can contribute to the prevention of more serious social behavior disorders in adolescents, including patterns associated with juvenile delinquency