A six-year-old girl was analyzed for three years. The central problem of this anxious depressed child was a severely devalued self-representation. This manifested itself by defenses against any wish for closeness, which she expected would inevitably lead to rejection. She was out of touch with her real feelings and resorted to "pretend feelings" as a form of denial and as a means of appeasing others. Interpretation of the transference was obviously a major element in the success of treatment.