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In about 1963, when I was training as a child psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic, in the old building in Beaumont Street, Winnicott came to give a paper to the children's department. It was an enchanting talk, but I had to leave 10 minutes early, as observing the time of an analytic session was sacrosanct. Later friends told me that, as I departed, Winnicott paused and said ‘I wonder why she left’. I was delighted to have made an impact, even though in such a random way, on this notable figure. His humorous paranoia at the event of my leaving is very much in character of someone able to notice small fluctuations in a situation and make use of them in unexpected ways.
I think he would have appreciated how I came to solve the problem of what to write about in this brief note. Just after being given the task, I went to the book launch for The Emotional Needs of Young Children and their Families (1995). This book is edited by Judith Trowell and Marion Bower and contains a chapter by me entitled ‘consultation in general practice’. It describes the work in a baby clinic with parents and infants which I have done now for twenty years. Often during this time I have used Winnicott's ideas, and have also felt a connection to him through my father Jack Kahn, who started off as a GP, later becoming a child psychiatrist, and who felt himself to be close to both Donald and Clare Winnicott. At the launch one of the speakers, Professor Andrew Cooper, spoke about the book, and picked out points from the various chapters. He likened an anecdote about an electric socket in my chapter to Winnicott's ‘spatula’ game. The connection to Winnicott was made!
I quote from my chapter:
The physical attributes of the room I work in are also worth comment. The usual bare serviceable NHS room has one property which is unexpectedly brilliant as a diagnostic feature in working with families. Namely, there is an electric socket bang in the middle of the wall, at toddler height! Most small children