When Does a Baby Need a Psychoanalyst? Psychodynamic Approaches to Infant Mental Health

When we treat young children with “disturbing” symptoms, it makes a difference whether we primarily aim at getting rid of the symptoms or whether we understand them as an expression of unsolved conflicts and/or unsatisfied needs. This chapter delineates concepts of psychoanalytic developmental theory: infantile sexuality, the maturing object relationship, and the developmental significance of triangulation. Starting from case examples and findings of clinical studies, I will elaborate on my psychoanalytic understanding of early development and draw conclusions for psychotherapeutic strategies.