The Mental Life of the Child
- Author:
Dr Hans Graber.
Maples Press Ltd. 8s. 6d.
This book is mainly a detailed descriptive account of analytic interviews with children. Dr Graber has chosen his cases carefully and usefully, and has attempted the almost impossible task of combining ^presentation of the factual content of the interviews in relatively simple language, with an account of the interpretative subtleties of treatment and of the total transference picture. His approach varies from that of strict scientific observer, to that of clinician and at times of philosopher. These variations are sometimes confusing, but they are useful and provocative, causing the reader to explore and question as he reads.
The title of the book is in some ways misleading, and ” Clinical Studies in Child Analysis ” might have been more appropriate.
In his introduction, Dr Graber sums up the range and purpose of his work as ” Illustrations from the practice of child analysis?a glimpse of the daily work which has come to me for the past 25 years.” He goes on to say :
” In these descriptions of the course of treatment I have, for the sake of simplicity, left out all changes in the environment, home, school, etc., which were necessary for ?the healing and mental hygiene of the child, nor have I mentioned ‘ physical’ education, which schools still keep too much in the background. Moreover, very little is said about the instincts, feelings, character, spirituality, or religion. It is best for the prudent man to say nothing about these in the psychoanalysis of children. Attention was always focussed on the whole person, even when the aim was to remove disturbances of the instjncts, emotions, will, vital energy, etc.”
Dr Graber addresses his book to all ” preceptors, parents, (especially mothers), teachers, priests, physicians, and psychologists, and also to students? to all who have been convinced that the most urgent task of culture is to turn inwards, to train and continue to train the unconscious life.” Some of the people listed by Dr Graber might find this book disturbing and obscure, unless they themselves have had considerable analytic experience, and some parents could be alarmed or bewildered by the admittedly pathological nature of much of the material quoted.
But although this book may not appeal to the very wide public to whom it is addressed, it is, nevertheless, an interesting and valuable contribution to the clinical records of child analysis. E.W.
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