Psychoanalysis and Paediatrics: Key Psychoanalytic Concepts with Sixteen Clinical Observations of Children

by Françoise Dolto

This book is Francoise Dolto's 1939 medical thesis and is dedicated to medical practitioners, paediatricians, and parents without prior knowledge of psychoanalysis. Francoise Dolto's aim was to sensitise people to the unconscious dimensions of many problems in children. She demonstrates here, through sixteen case studies, how often children's difficulties at school and at home - be they behavioural or due to impaired learning abilities - are the expression of psychological issues linked with their developing sexuality and castration anxiety, and result in physical symptoms such as enuresis and encopresis.Dolto points out that the awareness of the self and self-responsibility often develops for young people in families in which the parents do not know how to listen or even more importantly cannot be listened to with trust. There is also a summary of Freud's theories of the different stages of the evolution of the drives, as well as the central developmental role played by the castration complex, castration anxiety, and the Oedipus Complex.

Genres: Psychology

264 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Françoise Dolto was a French pediatrician and psychoanalyst, famous for her research on babies and childhood. Dolto revolutionized the field of psycho-therapeutic work with babies (notably in their early experience and usage of language through their body), with the mother-baby dyad, and with a more positive observation and understanding of the means of communication used by children with learning or social disabilities.

She worked with Jacques Lacan, and said that children have a language before the language (with the body). She has contributed to the question of the unconscious body image, and influenced among others the work of Maud Mannoni.

As a recognized feminist, she also worked on reconciling women with their sexuality; she also analyzed the attitude of children when their parents are separating or divorcing.

Françoise Dolto was the mother of Carlos (1943–2008), a singer; and the sister of Jacques Marette, a minister.

From Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%...

Reviews

[Owlseyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a classic; good for those who still believe in Psychoanalysis. Dolto outlines basic Psychoanalytic theory (childhood's) and then proceeds to clinical cases description and analysis of intervention; the use of children drawings as a diagnostic tool is well and suggestively documented. This is a good introductory course on the theme.

[lbzk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those who try to initiate themselves into psycho-analysis and find more about childhood.

[Alain Dib]

This book basically contains a serie psychoanalytical analysis analysis of children. Dolto is well known in the psychoanalytical society for her work with children(although she also did work with adults). It is important to note that her work is heavily influenced by the structuralist Lacan. Dolto tries to showcase how psychoanalysis helped the children, in some pages we can even see some of their drawings with some interpretations.
To be honest, this book is mostly designed for someone who has a good enough understanding of psychoanalysis as it features a lot of techincal terms and concepts that might be difficult to understand for a non specialised audience.
All in all, I think this book is a good read for someone who knows about psychoanalysis, is curious or studying a field related to psychology or human science. Keep in mind that if u know psychoanalysis and read a lot of it this book will probably not change the way you look at this discipline. Still reading it is not too hard if u git the basic stuff and maybe it's not a bad ides to make it your first dolto book. Getting to know dolto is important in the academic field. Although, as tend to be the case with most psychologists or psychoanalyst this is a rather controversial person.
Some people love her, others hate her. What will it be? I'd say it's up to you to decide how you chose to look at her and her work.

[Béatrice]

Très technique, un peu ardu.

[Valeria Cardoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy útil, sobretodo por los casos clínicos.

[Caosandante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meh

[LiLitH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Para entender el poder de la palabra y lo no dicho.