The Totem: therapeutic evaluation of family temperaments and situations through totemic animals

Abstract

The Totem is a tool to appreciate the situation while carrying out a therapeutic consultation of the child. It contributes to connecting with the symptomatic behaviour of a child indicating her/his temperament and the perceived temperaments of family members. Symbolic attributes of the natures taken from animals facilitate the representations of the reciprocal identifications in the family. Animal pictures mounted on magnets represent the archetypes belonging to social imaginary. Magnetic animals are presented on a plate, chosen by the family and laid out on a magnetic board. The patient, his/her siblings and her/his parents, identify their respective characters. The family history, the respective attachments and the therapeutic goals are explored. This exploration can be extended to the schoolmates, to the networks and team discussion. It is also usefully included when working with therapeutic groups and with children, adolescents and adults individually. A personal analysis of 950 Totems shows the rich and immediate harvest of such representations using a simple pleasant, spontaneous, neutral and interactive device.