School counseling groups and children of divorce: Loosening attachment to mother in adolescent girls

This paper describes the events in a middle school counseling group of nine adolescent girls, ages 12–14, which met weekly for seven months. Selection of students was made by the school counselor. Leaders of the group were two female therapists from a community agency, provided at no cost to the school. Coincidentally, all nine girls came from families where divorce had occurred. The events in the group featured numerous changes in friendship alliances, especially from triads to dyads. This allowed examination of emotional reactions to separation, loss and rejoining, related to having experienced loss of one parent, usually father, due to the divorce. Consequently, there was a need to loosen the intensified bond to the mother. Anger at one of the therapists facilitated examination of anger at mothers.Private Practice, Torrance, California.Private Practice, Los Angeles, California.In order to protect the identity of the girls their names have been changed and some identifying information has been altered. The opportunity to work with these children was provided through the Los Angeles Child Development Center and a California school district. Hatsuko Arima was cotherapist, and Dr. Berkovitz was consultant.