Related Experiment Videos
Working through conflict with self-destructive preschool children
P V Trad1, M J Raine, S Chazan
1Cornell University Medical Center, Child and Adolescent Outpatient Department, White Plains, NY 10605.
American Journal of Psychotherapy
|October 1, 1992
Summary
This case study details a preschooler
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Psychoanalytic Therapy
Background:
- A case history of a preschooler with aggressive and self-destructive behaviors.
- Treatment focused on establishing a therapeutic alliance and evoking transference.
Observation:
- Child exhibited intense aggressive and self-destructive behaviors, including physical abuse and threats.
- Transference reaction observed when child responded to therapist's vacation with abuse, mirroring maternal abandonment.
- Therapist managed behaviors by allowing expression while setting limits and ensuring safety.
Findings:
- Child's aggressive and self-destructive tendencies gradually abated.
- Child developed a more realistic perception of his home environment, reconciling "good" and "bad" impulses.
- Significant improvements in behavior and language reported by family and teachers.
Implications:
- Demonstrates the effectiveness of psychoanalytic therapy in treating early childhood behavioral issues.
- Highlights the importance of addressing transference and working-through processes in therapy.
- Suggests that therapeutic interventions can lead to improved emotional regulation and perception in young children.