Joshua, age 8, was referred for treatment for anger management and aggressive behavior occurring in the home. After the development of a therapeutic rapport between Joshua’s mother and myself, she began to discuss problems she was experiencing with all three of her boys. She described it as “boys will be boys” behavior which consisted of hitting, pushing, kicking, disrespecting each other with name calling, ignoring personal space, taking personal property, and progressive physical contact (rough-housing) until someone was hurt or crying.
This was an otherwise solid, stable, two-parent family with no apparent deep-seated issues. Basic needs were met comfortably. The family had a shared interest — they were united in their love for football! All three boys played in leagues. Dad was a football coach, and mom was a football mother. During football season, league play and NFL on TV dominated their lives.
With both parents onboard, Joshua’s mother and I designed “Life is Like a Football Game,” a behavior modification program for decreasing unnecessary and inappropriate verbal and physical contact.
Amid laughter, Joshua’s mother and I translated the boys’ inappropriate behavior into metaphor using football terminology, and then built the behavior modification program and incentives. We then scheduled a family meeting to discuss implementing the Game. Family members were asked to wear caps and jerseys supporting their favorite football team.
In the family meeting, the “warm-up” conversation focused on the teams they represented and the teams they liked to watch. Staying in the metaphor of football, we discussed rules, breaking rules, and consequences for breaking rules. We talked about players who broke the rules and did not demonstrate respect for the game, the coaches, the referees, and the consequences of those behaviors leading to sitting the bench or losing the game.
The conversation was shifted into behaviors occurring in the home and Joshua’s presenting issue was reframed as a family one. It was the team that was struggling, rather than Joshua, and Joshua needed the support of his team, and they needed his. The boys were told we would use football language to work on the game. The parents were introduced as coaches and referees (complete with whistles). The boys each received a handout of the rules, penalties, points sheet, and award levels. We read the rules and penalties, and discussed “The Plan.” The following Saturday was set as “Game Day.” The family enthusiastically left the session and looked forward to Game Day.
Timeout: The intentional use of separation between players to regain control and respect for the rules of the game. A referee, coach, or player may call timeout. If the referee calls timeout, he/she may designate where the players receive the timeout. If player calls timeout, he may designate where he wants to take the timeout and the other players must find neutral zones not in the same room. Time outs will be 5 to 10 minutes in length and determined by who calls the timeout.
Instant Replay: Infractions may be available by cell phone. Players beware; you are being watched!
Penalty: A consequence for demonstrating a lack of respect towards a player, coach, referee, or the rules of the game. The following are penalties you will be called for:
I would occasionally touch base with the mother, who indicated she and her husband were all initially very busy calling the infractions to drive home the seriousness of the issue. Eventually, the parents were able to put down their whistles and use verbal reinforcement. Over the course of time and with consistent repetition, the boys began to call infractions on each other — self refereeing. Problematic behaviors did decrease. The parents and the boys were able to apply this coded language when they were out in the community to literally “head things off at the pass!”
My total involvement with this family was less than 3 months! This family was able to take the sport they loved and apply it to their relationships with each other in the football game of Life.
Questions for Thought and Discussion
What were your impressions of this therapist’s intervention?
In what ways have you integrated creative interventions in your practice with children and families?
What did you see as the benefits and possible limitations of this particular approach?
File under: The Art of Psychotherapy, Family Therapy
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This was an otherwise solid, stable, two-parent family with no apparent deep-seated issues. Basic needs were met comfortably. The family had a shared interest — they were united in their love for football! All three boys played in leagues. Dad was a football coach, and mom was a football mother. During football season, league play and NFL on TV dominated their lives.
Shifting Therapy to a Focus on the Family
When working therapeutically with children, I have always considered it important to know their interests, because it can be both a bridge to the therapeutic relationship and serve as a tool to help the child buy into the treatment process. After meeting with Joshua’s mother individually, we shifted the focus from an individual treatment focus to a family focus.With both parents onboard, Joshua’s mother and I designed “Life is Like a Football Game,” a behavior modification program for decreasing unnecessary and inappropriate verbal and physical contact.
Amid laughter, Joshua’s mother and I translated the boys’ inappropriate behavior into metaphor using football terminology, and then built the behavior modification program and incentives. We then scheduled a family meeting to discuss implementing the Game. Family members were asked to wear caps and jerseys supporting their favorite football team.
In the family meeting, the “warm-up” conversation focused on the teams they represented and the teams they liked to watch. Staying in the metaphor of football, we discussed rules, breaking rules, and consequences for breaking rules. We talked about players who broke the rules and did not demonstrate respect for the game, the coaches, the referees, and the consequences of those behaviors leading to sitting the bench or losing the game.
The conversation was shifted into behaviors occurring in the home and Joshua’s presenting issue was reframed as a family one. It was the team that was struggling, rather than Joshua, and Joshua needed the support of his team, and they needed his. The boys were told we would use football language to work on the game. The parents were introduced as coaches and referees (complete with whistles). The boys each received a handout of the rules, penalties, points sheet, and award levels. We read the rules and penalties, and discussed “The Plan.” The following Saturday was set as “Game Day.” The family enthusiastically left the session and looked forward to Game Day.
Family Therapy as a Game of Football
The Rules of the Game- Game Day will begin on Saturday at 8:00 AM each week.
- Each player will start the day with 35 Player Points.
- Each penalty will cost the player 7 points from his individual score.
- If a player loses all his points for the day, he will be placed in the locker room (mentally) for the remainder of the day and out of that day’s game.
- The coaches will total each player’s points on Friday evening at 9:00 PM. Awards will be determined at that time.
- Awards may be accumulated. Points will begin again on Saturday morning.
Timeout: The intentional use of separation between players to regain control and respect for the rules of the game. A referee, coach, or player may call timeout. If the referee calls timeout, he/she may designate where the players receive the timeout. If player calls timeout, he may designate where he wants to take the timeout and the other players must find neutral zones not in the same room. Time outs will be 5 to 10 minutes in length and determined by who calls the timeout.
Instant Replay: Infractions may be available by cell phone. Players beware; you are being watched!
Penalty: A consequence for demonstrating a lack of respect towards a player, coach, referee, or the rules of the game. The following are penalties you will be called for:
- Illegal Motion: The use of facial expressions, hands, finger, arms, legs, feet, or any body part to accidentally/purposely annoy or irritate another player, which communicates a lack of personal respect.
- Illegal Blocking: The intentional use of any part of your body to stop the forward progress of another family member who is making movement to a determined destination such as the refrigerator, the XBox, their bedroom or any other room in the house, or the community environment.
- Pass Interference: The intentional physical or verbal interference of a player in the discussion between a referee/coach and another player.
- Holding: The intentional physical use of restraint by one player of another when there is no play activity involved.
- Unsportsmanlike Conduct: A verbal and/or physical demonstration of behavior by a player in the home, school, or community that demonstrates a lack of respect for the property, personal, and physical boundaries of another player, referee, or coach, or carries a threat for potential harm or safety to the player, another player, referee, or coach.
- Roughing the Passer/Roughing the Kicker: The deliberate physical striking, hitting, or wrestling of one player towards another player after the play has been completed or whistled dead by the referee.
- Intentional Grounding: The deliberate throwing or hurling of any object not meant to be thrown (toys, XBox controllers, shoes, balls outside of a game context) by a player to another player as an expression of anger, frustration, or retaliation.
- Ineligible Receiver/Illegal Possession: The taking or receiving of the property of another player without the permission of the player.
- Delay of Game: Plays called by the referee or coach will be completed within 90 seconds “It’s time to go…Put the XBox away, etc.…” or the player involved will receive a penalty.
- Lombardi Trophy AFC 85-105 Points: monetary $6, batting cages, movie theater movie with parent or a friend, Cocoa Keys outing/Magic Waters, Rockford Aviators Game, Volcano Falls, anything in the Hallas or Heisman Trophy
- Hallas Trophy NFC 64-84 Points: $4 award recognition, 30 minutes uninterrupted XBox time, may choose a fast-food restaurant (individual meal with parent), have a friend overnight, have a pizza delivered at home, game time with a family member, fishing time with Dad, 2 hours YMCA time, anything in Heisman Trophy
- Heisman Individual Trophy 49-63 Points: $2 weekly award recognition, movie or game rental, pick a favorite meal, food, or dessert for a family home meal, trip to the $1 store, shopping with mom, tennis time (60 minutes per award), quality time with a parent of choice
Family Response to Therapeutic Intervention
There were multiple factors that contributed to the success of the intervention. A critical factor was two stable parents in a stable marriage providing a stable home environment and consistent use of “The Plan.” The intervention occurred in the home where the problem was occurring which made it more naturalistic — home team advantage, so to speak. The family knew and loved football, so it was not difficult for the coaches/referees or players to understand, competitive spirit, the rules, the penalties, and the consequences. The behavior modification plan was built on a positive platform to encourage competition and success. Even the child doing the poorest was still a winner. Hidden in the incentive rewards system was a lot of parent quality time!I would occasionally touch base with the mother, who indicated she and her husband were all initially very busy calling the infractions to drive home the seriousness of the issue. Eventually, the parents were able to put down their whistles and use verbal reinforcement. Over the course of time and with consistent repetition, the boys began to call infractions on each other — self refereeing. Problematic behaviors did decrease. The parents and the boys were able to apply this coded language when they were out in the community to literally “head things off at the pass!”
My total involvement with this family was less than 3 months! This family was able to take the sport they loved and apply it to their relationships with each other in the football game of Life.
Questions for Thought and Discussion
What were your impressions of this therapist’s intervention?
In what ways have you integrated creative interventions in your practice with children and families?
What did you see as the benefits and possible limitations of this particular approach?
File under: The Art of Psychotherapy, Family Therapy