The absence of ‘holding’ and containment, and the absence of parental protection

Winnicott’s ideas about ordinary devoted parenting and all the emotional responsiveness that this requires, Bion’s concept of containment and Bowlby’s emphasis on the centrality of the parent’s biological and evolutionary protective function are contrasted with the lack of care that neglected and traumatised children have experienced. As a result of living in prolonged situations of fear, their relationships, emotions, brains and whole body systems have been terribly affected. The clinical example in this chapter is about such a child.