ABSTRACT
In any treatment, the relationship between doctor and patient has trust as its foundation. And for those treatments which utilize transference as the primary vehicle for change, this is particularly so. There are many cases in the literature of children whose histories are filled with egregious traumata, but difficulties in establishing a trusting relationship with the analyst may also be found among children who have suffered more subtle disruptions in their early attachments. This chapter presents a case study of a child named Robin. The death of a mother in early childhood can shatter a child's core sense of trust, safety, lovableness, and reality. Mistrust, whatever its source, may become a resistance within the treatment and an obstacle to progress. Robin was a shy child who avoided other boys. Robin avoided his own aggressive feelings toward father, rarely speaking up to him, and chose instead to torment his twin, his mother, and his analyst.
