System of family group logopsychoth

System of family group logopsychotherapy
The system of family group logopsychotherapy consists of four stages: a propaedeutic
one, a séance of emotion-stress psychotherapy, active family group logopsychotherapy
and control supportive logopsychotherapy.
Stage I (propaedeutics) lasts at least six months and is built on dynamic psychotherapy
diagnostics based on the bibliotherapeutic method. This type of nontraditional
diagnostics was elaborated by Nekrasova to treat stutterers. But in our
family group logopsychotherapy both patients and their close relatives read texts
of fiction and make written comments about them. In his book The Psychology of
Art Vygotsky analysed catharsis as a special personality effect produced by a work
of art. We make use of this effect by offering patients and their families for reading
specially selected books including those by Hans Christian Andersen, Anton Chekhov,
Ivan Turgenev, Bernard Shaw, Alan Marshal, Ray Bradbury, Richard Bach, etc.
Bibliotherapy is used in combination with specially selected psychological tests and
questionnaires.
Traditional methods: Tests (Rosenzweig, Wesman-Ricks, Taylor, Kelly et al.)
aimed at identifying such personality features as anxiety, aggressiveness, reactivity,
ways of coping with critical situations, etc; questionnaires (self characterization,
leadership qualities, speech diary, etc.) and picture tests that give us a most complete
and comprehensive idea about the patient.
The tests were carried out in writing, which was not traumatic to our patients
with speech communication disorders. Another feature of this diagnostics was
carried out “at a distance”, in the absence of a psychotherapist as many of our patients
come from far away places. The tests are structured in the ascending order
of psychological complexity. This fact, however, remains unnoticed by the participants
as it enhances their motivational involvement in the unusual therapeutic
process.
To identify interfamilial relations and motivation for communication and recovery
we also used the Orlov and Thomas tests and specially designed tests and
questionnaires and the essay My Family and I. This data was compared with that
obtained in the bibliotherapy. This diagnostics was aimed not only to identify The
Internal Picture of Health, (Nekrasova, 1992) but also to compose The Family Portrait.
Treatment Stage II is based on K.Dubrovsky’s method of emotional stress
psychotherapy aimed at “removing stuttering” within 1-1.5 hours. It is both individual
and group hypnosis directed at a group of stuttering patients. The séance
is conducted on stage in a frustrating situation in front of an audience. The psychotherapeutic
encyclopedia edited by Karvasarsky (St Petersburg, 2000) describes
this séance as “Dubrovsky’s directive group impact in an awaken state”. Our séance
employs all the materials of the propaedeutic stage.