Some Thoughts on Interpretation in Child Psychoanalysis

ABSTRACT Interpretation is the primary tool of psychoanalysts. While there are other technical interventions we use, they serve as steps toward interpretation itself. Thoughts about the meaning of interpretation, the aims of the interpretative process, and the multiple dimensions of the methods used are examined. Examples from several child psychoanalyses are given to illustrate the application of interpretation. The interpretive work contained within the analytic relationship with analyst as transference object, developmental object, and the object of projection of the patient’s sense of self are all demonstrated, as well as the interpretation of resistance, conflict, defense, and the enactment of unconscious fantasy.