Group of Children and of Parents: Psychology Practices in Primary Health Care

Abstract

This article presents the psychotherapeutic group of children carried out concomitantly with the group of parents/caregivers and aims to reflect, based on the proposal of parallel and simultaneous groups of children and parents/caregivers, the need for listening to families in primary care the health. It is an intervention developed by psychology professionals in a health centre in Porto Alegre, Brasil. The group of children has been held since 2006 based on the demand of families, schools and health professionals. By understanding the relevance of family participation in the children's psychotherapeutic process and on the potential of the group device, the psychology team proposed the group of parents/caregivers simultaneously. Before this modality, the approach with the families was carried out individually. The concurrent groups approach contributed to the greater involvement of families, as the collective space enhanced reflections on family and transgenerational issues that have a significant impact on the therapeutic process of children. The intervention promoted health care beyond the individual, enabling the expansion of the support network and a better understanding of family and school dynamics, enabling the promotion of mental health in an integral perspective.