'This is a new edition of Mattie Harris's papers together with two of Mrs Bick's. The papers span sixteen years of development. They illustrate the conviction that detailed observation, especially as taught by Mrs Bick, is the basis of learning about emotional life. Thus the first few papers, while ostensibly describing the training of a child psychotherapist, are actually a guideline for learning about one's own emotional experience and hence of becoming a person. Mattie was very much inspired by Melanie Klein's teaching but was aware of the basic assumption groupings that arise, both internally and externally, through idealization of a great figure and which are death to individual thinking. Bion was an especial influence on her, particularly his idea of learning from the experience of tolerating frustration, and eschewing memory and desire in order to focus ont he present moment. The majority of her papers link experiences of infant observation with descriptions of analysis of child or adult cases. Each paper describes new aspects of the experience required for the development of an alive character. They are written in the concise,even-handed style of Mattie's personality and show her intense interest in the details that make each of us unique.'- Joan Symington, Child psychiatrist and training analyst, Australian Psychoanalytical Society
- ISBN13 9781780490090
- Publish Date 31 December 2011 (first published 16 June 2011)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 27 January 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Karnac Books
- Format Paperback
- Pages 432
- Language English