ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on young children up to the age of five and the parents and siblings with whom they live. It discusses the clinical work with families of young children and it is organized around some common difficulties and problems typical of this age group. The chapter explores the deep, unconscious connections between children and parents, especially in those cases where symptomatic behaviour develops and turns a potentially pleasant and satisfying family life into hell. When psychotherapists and psychoanalysts write about their work they are usually grateful to their patients and their families. The patients present themselves with emotional, neurotic or existential suffering. It can be a consequence of trauma, abuse or physical or mental illness, but is usually a lonely and meaningless type of suffering. It differs from the psychic pain that the patient will hopefully be able to experience and tolerate by the end of therapy.
