Psychoanalysis and pediatrics is a seminal work written by Françoise Dolto, which has become a fundamental text in the fields of child psychology and pediatrics. The central objective of the book, already a classic that we present here in a new edition, is to sensitize non-internalized readers in the dimension of the unconscious present in various complications of the development of children: somatic, character, affective or intellectual problems.
To this end, Dolto begins with a deliberately simplified exposition of Freudian theory, followed by a clinical report of sixteen cases of children who were treated with psychotherapy. These are sessions that will make the reader clear the inevitable articulation between theory and practice. Throughout these essays, different edges of the ways in which children experience and process the world around them, from the first years of life to adolescence, are explored. Thus, the author proposes various central concepts for the therapeutic relationship (such as the crucial role of active and empathetic listening with children), provides a deep and insightful view of child development and offers valuable perspectives to address some of the problems that develop in childhood.
Undoubtedly, Psychoanalysis and Pediatrics is a pioneering work that highlights the importance of integrating psychoanalytic knowledge into pediatric practice. That is why pediatricians, educators, fathers and mothers, as well as readers in general interested in psychology, will find here important proposals when it comes to addressing certain problems in everyday practice.