Ih. Vandvik et Gf. Eckblad, THE 2-HOUSES TECHNIQUE - A CLINICAL METHOD FOR ASSESSMENT OF CHILDRENS PERCEPTION OF THEIR FAMILIES, Nordic journal of psychiatry, 48(6), 1994, pp. 401-407
The Two-Houses Technique (2HT) was introduced by Victor Szyrynski in 1
949 as an approach to investigating family dynamics in child pyschiatr
y. The method is time-saving and simple in application and combines th
ree elements in psychiatric diagnosis: play, interview, and projection
. 2HT was included together with semi-structured child interviews and
family assessments in a study of 60 children (age 7-16 years) suspecte
d of having rheumatic diseases. Thirty per cent of the children forgot
to include themselves one or more times. They had lower functioning o
n the Children's Global Assessment Scale but not lower self-esteem (Ch
ild Assessment Schedule). Two clinical examples illustrate that the 2H
T can be a useful tool in clinical work with families. For research pu
rposes further studies of validity and reliability are needed.