Appendix to Chapter XVI

This chapter, which had its stimulus from the GERPEN seminar in Paris in 1982 and 1983 and drew its main material from the work of Mme Eve Cohen, supplemented later by some observations by Mrs Maria Rhode, had a second flush in the summer of 1985 when it was presented to the Rome-London Conference of Tavistock Child Psychotherapists. In that form it went to the printer in September 1985, but in the following month, at the 11th Stage of the “Harris-Meltzer” Seminars at the Instituto di Neuropsichiatria Infantile in Calambrone di Pisa organized by Professor Pietro Pfanner, this vital growth shot yet another leader into the air. On the Friday afternoon I had read the Tavistock version of the chapter, which was received with interest and complaint. It was too complicated, too dense, too convoluted. I agreed but felt unable to do anything to remedy its defects.

The following morning Dr Alba Greco, who had translated for us since the beginning of the series, presented a case from her practice in Pistoia. The material was so stunningly illustrative of the chapter that, with Dr Greco's permission, I determined to add her material and a summary of the discussion to the chapter. However, when I phoned the printer on the Monday, I learned that the book was already in page proof, hence the Appendix. I will present first Dr Greco's own translation of her material.

Andrea, age eight and a half, was sent by a colleague from the Local Health Service, but it was the mother who made the contact by telephone, asking for an appointment immediately, but on the condition that Dr Greco would be able to take him into treatment at once. A series of agitated phone calls from the mother, who had each time to consult with her husband, were required before an actual appointment could be agreed upon.

At the initial interview the contrast between the two parents was striking, the father practical, contractual and cool, the mother urgent and exclusively focused on problems supposedly consequent to th