ABSTRACT
We begin with object relations theory and examine briefly the theories and contributions of two of the most prominent object relations theorists: Melanie Klein (1882-1960) and W. R. D. Fairbairn (1889-1964). We turn next to some of the key figures in the history of psychotherapy who refined and extended psychoanalytic and object relations theories; for example, British pediatrician D. W. Winnicott (1896-1971), who diverged from the paths of Freudian psychoanalysis and Kleinian object relations to develop concepts such as transitional objects, holding environments, and the “good enough” mother.
