Psychoanalysarium Four Case Studies of Child Psychoanalysis

 1. The girl from the sea - the transformation of illusion into development

 Isabel Quinta da Costa

 2. Died, Slept, Dreamed: from immersion in sensoriality to the possibility of thinking

 Elsa Couchinho

3. The ghost of a thousand ghosts: from the hunger of a thousand babies to the progressive possibility of symbolization

 Raquel Quelhas Lima

4. From scribble to sphinx: originary phantasies as a symbolic matrix 

 Ana Belchior Melícias

ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY                  

Raquel Quelhas Lima

Biography

Ana Belchior Melícias is a psychoanalyst based in Lisbon, Portugal. She is a full member of the Portuguese Psychoanalytical Society (PPS) and of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA). She is also a child and adolescent psychoanalyst. She is a former vice president of the PPS board and president of the APOBB (Portuguese Association of Bick Infant Observation).

Isabel Quinta da Costa is a Psychoanalyst and full member of the Portuguese Psychoanalytical Society and of the International Psychoanalytical Association. She is also a child and adolescent psychoanalyst. She is a full member of the Portuguese Society of Psychoanalytic Group Psychodrama.

Elsa Couchinho is a Psychoanalyst and full member of the Portuguese Psychoanalytical Society and of the International Psychoanalytical Association. She is also a child and adolescent psychoanalyst. She is also supervisor of multidisciplinary teams in the context of residential homes for children and youth at risk.

Raquel Quelhas Lima is a Psychoanalyst and full member of the Portuguese Psychoanalytical Society and of the International Psychoanalytical Association. She is also a child and adolescent psychoanalyst. She is also a child and adolescent psychiatrist, focused on primary health care and child psychiatry liaison.

‘Creativity (...even in the title!), theoretical and clinical competence, depth of thought and openness to the new and to complexity are just some of the characteristics of this fascinating and valuable book, which, through four very lively clinical cases, accompanies the reader into the area of child analysis and then, much further, into the infinitely vast area of the childhood basis of adult life. ‘Psychoanalysarium’ is a very useful tool for all those who work in this field, and confirms how psychoanalytical therapy for childhood psychological distress has made progress that was unthinkable until a few years ago.’

 

Stefano Bolognini, Former President of International Psychoanalytical Association

‘This is one of those rare books demonstrating how deep is the psychoanalytic practice.

An homage to child and adolescent psychoanalysis, this is a manual on child analysis, demonstrating how the analyst maintains the analytic process, through 4 detailed analyses of children of different ages. As Virginia Ungar pointed out in her foreword, the child analyst is in touch with the reality of the unconscious fantasy. The complexity of transference and countertransference is explored and gives rise to fascinating elaborations on psychoanalysis with children. This is a brilliant book, exciting and very accessible: a good combination of education and psychoanalytic thinking.  This book is an essential theoretical and clinical document for adult and child analysts, and for everyone in analytic training.’

 

Christine Anzieu-Premmereur, MD, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at Columbia University. Chair IPA COCAP (Committee for Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis), Co-Founder New York’s Pulsion Psychoanalytic Institute

 

‘Four children… four psychoanalysts and their inspiring trajectory masterfully captures the very essence of contemporary psychoanalysis: diversity, pluralism, and contemporaneity. It is far more than a theoretical exercise; it's a vibrant demonstration of psychoanalytic practice, skillfully weaving together the wisdom of classical psychoanalytic thought with the cutting-edge of contemporary research. What truly sets this book apart is its ability to transcend the specific focus on children. The reader immersed in the intimate and transformative analytical journeys, will gain invaluable insights into the nuances of the therapeutic relationship with patients of any age!

This book is an essential resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of psychoanalytic practice. The authors have created a work that is both intellectually stimulating and deeply moving, a testament to the enduring power of psychoanalysis in our ever-evolving world.’

 

Sergio Nick, Former Vice-President of International Psychoanalytical Association