The Piggle: An Account of the Psychoanalytic Treatment of a Little Girl. by D.W. Winnicott. Ed. by Ishak Ramzy. New York:  International Universities Press, 1977.

Winnicott had written this intimate account of his psychoanalytic treatment of a young girl some ten years ago and it is now republished. It is a clinical and verbatim description of the analysis of a young girl, which is begun when she was two years and three months old. She was seen for sixteen sessions, utilizing the “on demand” method, until she was five years old. The presenting problem was fantasies that kept her awake at night. The “on demand” method was a departure for Winnicott since he was an orthodox analyst, though with Kleinian leanings. In spite of the non-traditional schedule of visits, he defines this case as an analysis because he “directed attention to the transference and the unconscious, not to the formal arrangements of the analytic situation, or the frequency or regularity of the analytic sessions.”

Progressive movement was evidenced in the ongoing process of each session. On each occasion this child brought a problem she was able to manifest and to work on, and Dr. Winnicott observed her play and interpreted the unconscious material that was causing her discomfort and hindering her development.

Her parents' letters are included and they provide a description of her behavior at home. In addition to verbatim accounts of the sessions, his observations and his interpretations, Dr. Winnicott supplies invaluable comments, so that the reader can understand the treatment as it develops and the theoretical implications.