January 8, 2008

Dear ethiKids,

I am writing to congratulate you on your ethiKids game, “what’s the deal?” I can see myself putting it to work in child psychotherapy sessions and also in the parent guidance work which is a vital adjunct of child therapy.

Your six values and four skills, all operationalized in active language, represent the invitation to ‘do’ effective character-building deeds.

The situation cards encompass just about every kind of problem that could come up at school, home, organized activities like clubs or sports, and informal times with friends. The cards address problems with peers, family, teachers or coaches. There are no ‘lemons’, and each one has the potential to stimulate the fun of thinking in a new way about situations.

Your tips for adults on how to play “what’s the deal?” with one child or a group are great. In the clear, brief pamphlet, your dozen points of “homework for adults” encompass most of what I have learned in over 20 years as a child psychologist. Clearly you have really done your homework. These tips are excellent reminders of how adults can relate to a structured activity with children so as to grant the children the sense of authorship and the good feeling of recognizing that they’ve taken a giant step in learning. They’ll see more choices available in situations, realize that how people feel, and not just what they do, is a dimension of all kinds of experience.

So the game isn’t just about ethics; it’s about emotional health. That makes it an ideal tool for child psychotherapy. When a psychotherapist is working with the parents in parent guidance, the ‘game’ dimension and introduction of Luke and Fiona, someone else’s children, as characters, provides a face-saving perspective in which parenting skills can be developed.

I would recommend “what’s the deal” as a cornerstone resource for child therapists!

Yours truly,

Caroline C. Chinlund, Ph.D.

Clinical Psychologist, NYC