ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that there must be a critical window during child development during which the resulting clinical structure might still be malleable and can potentially change. It offers an accomplishment, through the clinical work, of a critical shift in a child, from a psychotic to a neurotic structure. The chapter presents the case study of Thomas. The child's school and parents told one that Thomas had a "behaviour problem" and that they wanted to help the family "better manage" his behaviours. The original adoption story that Thomas's mother told him had left little room for wondering or desire. Thomas enacted this over and over again, with the baby porcupine viciously going after countless other animal characters somewhat indiscriminately. In play, the crocodile children were spared and formed a family as the crocodile mother married the male figure with the stop sign, who became the "crocodile children's daddy".
