Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 3-4.djvu/44

298 greatest monotony, and in the subsequent hours she continually returned to this subject, until at last was revealed the connection between this question and what was really the girl's main interest—sexual intercourse between human beings. In a roundabout way (first under the guise of her great liking for horses—she was greatly interested in books on horse-breeding—then of her interest in descriptions of travels and the love relations of foreign peoples) the main preoccupation finally emerged: 'For how long a period do the men and women of foreign races have intimate relations with one another' (having in mind her own father and mother).

The demand for 'active therapy' which is made for the analysis of the adult is also of importance in child-analysis. It is certainly advisable for quite a number of patients that during the course of analysis they should be given small tasks to perform. Especially in the case of the patient who suffers from strong inferiority feelings, if a due measure of work be demanded of him, his self-confidence will be strengthened.

The shy, dependent weak boy (of whom I spoke above) who had difficulty with his speech and suffered a great deal from the ridicule of street-boys, surprised his grandfather after a six months treatment by his manly self-reliant behaviour with his seniors. The boy, who formerly would scarcely go outside the house, improved so much by analysis that he joined in walks, and went along, first for me, then for his mother, to execute little commissions for us—which he carried out very successfully.

More important than making positive requests is the avoidance, as far as possible, of any direct prohibitions, and, again, more valuable than both prohibitions and commissions, is talking over things together. This mutual weighing up of the pros and cons of a given situation will influence the self-confidence of the patient repressed by his inferiority feelings.

No more for the child than for the adult can a programme for the course of analysis be laid down. Kind and sympathetic attention, encouraging occasionally, joking words at the right moment, a loving interest in all the trifles which are by no means trifles to the child, indicate the way to gain the full confidence of the young creature. In addition, to forget nothing and to confuse nothing said in previous sittings—this completes the demands made by the child upon the analyst. How far, and when,