Notes on the Transference and its Management in A Schizoid Child

In these notes I shall give an outline of how one analytical psychologist practises child analysis. They give prominence to management of the transference in a schizoid child and so do not describe the features of every child analysis. The case is, I hope, characteristic of the work which analytical psychologists do: Jung's work originated in the study of hysterical and schizophrenic dissociations, particularly the latter and therefore those that follow him are attracted to this class of patient.

First to define the term transference. It refers to an unspecified number of perceptions of the analyst by the patient caused by the projection of split off, or unintegrated parts of the patient onto or into the analyst. Projection being an unconscious process the parts, later to be made conscious are at first unconscious: the main work of analysis consists in making them conscious, in revealing their origins and providing conditions under which the child can live through them.

Since it is commonly held, with some justification, that analytical psychologists neglect the transference, it may be useful if I give some of the influences which helped me to arrive at the conclusion that transference analysis is vital.

Whilst being trained in analytical psychology I began to be interested in child psychiatry. First of all I assimilated all that I could from Jung's writings about child psychology. Wickes’ work was naturally also of great interest, but I soon found that if I were going to analyse children there was neither enough theory nor enough recommendations on technique to guide me. There were some interesting clues but the main emphasis, in the work of both Jung and Wickes, was on the influence which unconscious conflicts in the parents had on their children. No mention was made as to whether a child could or could not develop a transference.

Turning to other analysts for help I became much influenced by Klein for a number of reasons: firstly she got in touch with chi