ABSTRACT
When Freud (1909) first made use of psychoanalytic principles to try and help a young child, ‘Little Hans’, almost one hundred years ago, concern was immediately expressed about the impact such treatment would have on him. Would Little Hans be ‘corrupted’ by his encounter with psychoanalysis? Or could it actually strengthen him in his future life, both in enabling him to deal with his immediate childhood difficulties (a phobia about horses) and in preparing him to deal more effectively with the emotional challenges of his adult life?
