The most common projective methods for determining the problems of a child with a family are drawing tests. Often a child cannot convey everything in words, and an image is his graphic language.
There are many drawing tests, but we will dwell on the "Kinetic drawing of a family" in more detail. This technique is able to reveal the style of relationships in the family, the child's emotional attitude to each family member, the child's place in the family hierarchy.
The child must be provided with a sheet of A4 paper and a pencil. Then ask to draw him the whole family, each member of which is engaged in some kind of business. While drawing, it is necessary to monitor the sequence in which the child draws family members. Usually, the most important and dear person for the child is depicted first. Record also spontaneous phrases expressed during drawing.
After the child has finished drawing, have a conversation with him. It is necessary to ask: who is depicted, what types of activities he performs, what is the attitude of the child to each member of the family. Of course, the child will not always truthfully show you his attitude, but you yourself can determine this.
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the solidarity of the figures in the figure. It is possible that one family member will be drawn on the back of the sheet, which indicates its remoteness in real life. Or the silhouette will be drawn from the rear. It also speaks of the child's alienation to this individual. The presence of objects between people can mean a break in interpersonal ties, an obstacle in relationships.
Next, you should pay attention to the detailing of the picture. The most carefully drawn characters are likely to be the most beloved family members of the child. The one who is drawn only figuratively can cause emotional negative experiences in a child.
By the way the child draws himself, you can identify him with one of the family members. Perhaps he will paint himself exactly with the figure of his father or mother. If a child draws his own figure more than others, this means that he dominates the family, all attention is paid only to him. If the child draws his figure much smaller than the others, this may indicate that the child is influenced by adults, he is experiencing oppression.
