Further Considerations on the Function of the Skin in Early Object Relations

Summary

Esther Bick develops her earlier ideas about the psychological function of the skin in early development. She suggests that, in the earliest stages of life, the infant experiences the skin not only as a physical boundary but also as something that helps hold together the developing personality. When this sense of containment is not adequately established, the infant may experience parts of the self as fragmented or falling apart.

Bick also discusses how infants may develop “secondary skin” functions, using bodily sensations, movements, sounds, or other behaviors to create a sense of cohesion when internal containment is insufficient. She connects these ideas to observations of infants and to clinical work with children and adults, showing how early experiences of containment and separation can continue to influence later emotional and psychological functioning.