ABSTRACT
Psychoanalysis has built up a model of early experience from the first days onwards: some from infant observation and work with young children, but in particular from clinical work with that more disturbed part of adult patients–and of us all. That model of the baby and young child brought by S. Freud, developed by later analysts and corroborated by later research, is of a baby with his own particular sensitivities, inevitable conflicts and frustration to be faced, and defences against knowing of the unacceptable wishes. Psychoanalytic thinking means keeping hold of ideas, even when they are disturbing, rather than smoothing them over and easing them out of conscious mind. An analyst looks for what seems emotionally alive and true, if painful, and also what seems more of a cover-up. Psychoanalysis takes place at a particular place and time, a stable, safe space in which the impact of disruptions and changes can be noticed.
