Parent power: A holding technique in the treatment of omnipotent children

Some nontraditional (Unconventional and/or innovative) sychosocial treatments for children and adolescents: Critique and proposed screening principles

“…In a controlled laboratory experiment with maternally deprived rat pups, simulated maternal stroking, as contrasted with kinesthetic and vestibular stimulation, promoted recovery from deprivation syndrome and raised the levels of ornithine decarboxylase, growth hormone, and corticosterone (Pauk, Kuhn, Field, & Schanberg, (1986). Henderson, Dahlin, Partridge, et al (1973) and Friedman et al (1978) described the therapeutic restraint of oppositional hyperactive children on the lap of adult. A struggling child was held firmly until he or she calmed down and/or verbally yielded, then was comforted and supported.…”

“…Desensitization or development of touch tolerance may be induced through systematic treatment protocols, often using deep pressure. Alternately, deep pressure protocols may be used for calming even in the absence of tactile defensiveness (e.g., Field et al, 1992;Friedman et al, 1978). The several literature themes include the following: Grandin (1992), an autistic Ph.D., invented a "Squeeze Machine" (better called a hugging machine) to self-treat her aversion to hugs by systematic desensitization.…”

The physical restraint of children: Is it therapeutic?

“…275–277; White, 1986). One of these involves a holding approach to be taught to mothers with difficult infants (Allan, 1976); another uses holding to establish appropriate “parent power” over “omnipotent” children (Friedman, Driezen, Harris, Schoen, & Shulman, 1978); and another advocates formal holding in normative as well as conflictual families as a way of both promoting bonding and reducing coercive interactions (Welsh, 1988).…”