''Dibs in Search of Self'' is a book by clinical

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

and author Virginia Axline published in 1964. The book chronicles a series of

play therapy Play therapy refers to a range of methods of capitalising on children's natural urge to explore and harnessing it to meet and respond to the developmental and later also their mental health needs. It is also used for Anatomically correct doll, ...

sessions over a period of one year with a boy (Dibs) who comes from a wealthy and highly educated family. Despite signs that he is

gifted Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average and is also known as high potential. It is a characteristic of children, variously defined, that motivates differences in school programming. It is thought to pe ...

, his mother, father, and most of his teachers perceive him as having an emotional or cognitive disorder. Dibs presents abnormal social behavior by continuously isolating himself, rarely speaking, and physically lashing out at those around him. In their weekly sessions together, Axline incorporates the principles of non-directive play therapy. Her approach to children was based on the humanistic concepts of

Carl Rogers Carl Ransom Rogers (January 8, 1902 – February 4, 1987) was an American psychologist who was one of the founders of humanistic psychology and was known especially for his person-centered psychotherapy. Rogers is widely considered one of the f ...

and

person-centered therapy Person-centered therapy (PCT), also known as person-centered psychotherapy, person-centered counseling, client-centered therapy and Rogerian psychotherapy, is a humanistic approach psychotherapy developed by psychologist Carl Rogers and collea ...

. Dibs is able to do and say whatever he wants during his hour in play therapy, while Axline provides patience and support. In this environment, Dibs slowly opens up and begins exploring his feelings. Axline's responses to Dibs are primarily reflections, demonstrating to Dibs that she is listening to him without judging him. By the end of the book, which spans the course of one full year, Dibs makes notable strides in his ability to express himself, identify and cope with his feelings, and interact socially with his peers and family. Dibs was tested at the end of his therapy and was found to score in the extremely gifted range, with an IQ of 168 on the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Test.

References

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Bibliography

*Axline, V. (1964). ''Dibs in Search of Self''. New York, NY: Ballatine. *Axline, V. (1947). ''Play Therapy''. New York, NY: Ballatine. *Rogers, C. (1942). ''Counseling and Psychotherapy''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Child development Psychology books