Training as a Child Analyst

This Paper, which is partially autobiographical, focuses on the experience of training in child analysis as a complement to the training with adults. It goes on to consider certain theoretical and practical issues that arise when working with children, and concludes with acknowledgement of the debt owed to Michael Fordham for the initiation and development of the London training in child analysis.

I was finishing my training in the analysis of adults just as the training in work with children was ready to be launched, and there was a happy coincidence of my wish to train for working with children and the Society's ability to provide such a training. I had been interested in the possibility for a long time, and this interest had been further stimulated by working in a child guidance clinic.

The adult training, consisting of analysis, clinical work and seminars, had been extremely valuable both in relation to my professional goals and personally, and I had found that the clinical work had had an intensifying and quickening effect on my personal analysis. The seminars were varied and stimulating. It was helpful to be exposed to a wide cross-section of ways of thinking and working within the Society as each seminar leader dealt with his or her area of special interest. It provided a thorough introduction to Jung's work and the interrelationship between his ideas and other schools.

As I was the first trainee in child analysis there were no precedents, and, being the only one in my year, there were no others to consider. I was gratified to find that Dr Fordham and I could work out a programme together, and we met over a period of two years for a weekly tutorial, and systematically went through theoretical material. Children needing analysis were found with much difficulty, and the training was soon in full swing. At that time we did not offer mother-infant observation seminars at the Society, so I was fortunate in being able to attend those run by Mrs Martha Harris at the Ta