A Case Study in the Family Therapy of School Refusal:

Structural Change of Mother-Son System through Augmented Feedback Technique

Abstract

　This paper presents a family therapy approach to the treatment of school refusal. A detailed case report of a 29-session treatment utilizing Augmented Feedback Technique (AFT) designed to change the mother-son system is presented. A therapist tried to keep the mother-son system which had been in double-bind in statu quo at the initial stage. Then, he gradually introduced AFT in interviewing them. At the critical point of therapeutic process, he told them to continue their confrontation without his mediation. When they stuck in impasse, he encouraged them to step in each other’s inner feeling. They began to separate, and the son started to go to school soon after that session. At one year follow-up, the son was symptom free. Relationship factors, technical interventions, and stylistic aspects of the therapy are discussed.