Between conflict and exchange
A description of the specific problems in the relationship between a psychotherapeutic clinic for children and the parental families of the children. This is a complicated and vulnerable relationship, because the clinic takes over from the parents a task, which they could not proceed with, and which yet is very meaningfull for their feelings of self-esteem and self-realization. The relationship can, in practice, vary from conflict to exchange. The attitude of the workers to the parents is a very critical factor. Concerned as they are with the problems of the child, the workers can easily come to a moralising or distant attitude to the parents. A cooperative and exchanging relationship can only be achieved by a close, interested and not-moralising attitude. In this case there is a bigger chance too, that the family can be motivated for an own changing-process, together with the proces of the child.