The Concept of Transference in Child Psychoanalysis

Summary

This paper examines the concept of transference in child psychoanalysis and emphasizes the need to distinguish transference from the child’s ordinary ways of relating and from aspects of the relationship that reflect the child’s actual developmental situation. The authors propose three main forms of transference: current relationships, past experiences, and transference neurosis.

The authors argue that interpretation in child analysis must take the child’s developmental level into account. A child’s feelings toward the analyst may reflect both earlier relationships and present developmental needs, so the analyst must carefully distinguish these different elements before interpreting them.

Clinical examples are used to demonstrate how different types of transference can emerge and how they can be interpreted appropriately. Overall, the paper highlights the importance of developmental sensitivity and analytic tact when understanding transference in children, rather than applying concepts developed for adult psychoanalysis without modification.