ABSTRACT
The importance of play is a theme threading through this book. Children use play to think about themselves and the world. As psychotherapists, we rely on the imaginative play of ideas that come to mind to understand our patients, whether in therapy or in supervision. When children have been traumatised or abused, play of various kinds and story-telling is used in therapeutic settings as a symbolic way to approach disturbing experiences safely in displacement. The approach to child psychoanalytic psychotherapy outlined in this book has been influenced by my training and my interest in the British Independent tradition in psychotherapy, but I enjoy drawing on ideas from any school that helps illuminate a way forward. I have also learnt much from my colleagues, my supervisors and, of course, from my patients of all ages, many of whom have challenged and inspired my thinking. I hope those reading this book treat the ideas discussed here as stepping stones, leading to the discovery of other ideas in their future therapeutic work with children and adolescents.
