An Introduction to Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy is for adult and child therapists who want to learn about treating children and adolescents from a psychoanalytic perspective. It is a comprehensive introduction to provide adult psychoanalytic therapists with enough information and support to take up the challenge of beginning child and adolescent psychotherapy and to give CBT and sand play therapists access to a psychoanalytic perspective on work with young people. It grew from lectures and discussions with therapists over the course of a two-year training program, covering theory and technique of assessment and therapy, play, ethics, and work with parents. The contributors show how to deal with the common symptom presentations, how to establish a relationship, deal with resistance, engage in play, and interpret unconscious conflict. Included are clinical case conferences and consultations, and North and Central American, European, and Chinese clinical examples provide global relevance. This edited book is a group effort that presents a compendium of basic principles of practice and has a grounding in ethics and research, child and adolescent development, psychoanalytic theory of childhood, wellness and psychopathology of childhood, treatment technique, and consulting in the community to schools, agencies, and family court.
This is a must-read book for all professionals engaged in working with children and adolescents, and for psychotherapists who would like to learn more about working with young people from a psychoanalytic perspective.
Jill Savege Scharff, MD, is cofounder of the International Psychotherapy Institute (IPI) and founding chair of the International Institute for Psychoanalytic Training (IIPT) and of the Combined Child Analytic and Child Psychotherapy training program at the International Psychotherapy Institute in Chevy Chase, MD. She is the founding chair of IPI’s Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy training program at Jiandanxinli of Beijing, China. The author and editor of books on couple, child, and family therapy, and psychoanalytic therapy and education online, Jill’s latest edited volume is Psychoanalysis Online Volume 4. Her private practice in adult and child psychoanalysis, couple and family therapy is in Chevy Chase MD, USA. Jill is a recipient of the 2021 Sigourney Award.
Kerry Kelly Novick, Life-cycle Psychoanalyst; co-author, Working With Parents Makes Therapy Work, Freedom To Choose, and Good Goodbyes –
‘This extraordinary compendium offers both students and teachers of child psychotherapy a rich and eclectic survey of theory, practice, and technique with different age groups and populations. Read straight through as a textbook, or dipped into for insight about specific problems or situations, it delivers helpful and informed descriptions of all the different ways we can think about helping children and families move forward in their development. A great resource!’
Denia G. Barrett, MSW, Co-editor, The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child; Co-editor, Parentwork Casebook; past President, Association for Child Psychoanalysis –
‘This is no ordinary “Introduction” to the practice of child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy. It follows an exceedingly well-thought-out plan, while providing a carefully integrated collection of concise and detailed chapters – a compendium – on development, assessment, and psychodynamic ways of understanding symptoms, treatment, work with parents, and carefully selected psychoanalytic theoretical points of view. Jill Scharff and her colleagues also bring in multinational, cultural, and ethical considerations along with rich clinical illustrations and examples of work in the community. It’s a masterfully done text by master teachers and clinicians that is sure to become a welcome resource for learners and teachers alike.’
Jill M. Miller, PhD, Faculty and Training Analyst, Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis; Child and Adolescent Supervisor, various US Institutes; Co-editor-in-Chief, The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child –
‘Jill Scharff has given us a gift, one to those who are learning about child analysis, or yearning for a review, or just interested in the field. She and her international colleagues offer a framework to not only think about child analysis, but to teach it. Thus, it is a gift for us all. They provide a comprehensive overview of the basic principles of child analytic practice grounded in ethics, research, development, psychoanalytic theory, and technique. Included are the importance of considering cultural influences, the environment in which a child lives, in addition to the conscious and unconscious worlds of the therapist and the child. I highly recommend this book for the next generation of child psychotherapists and those who are dedicated to bringing them along – I loved reading it!’
Dr Jeanne Magagna, Tavistock-trained Child, Adult, and Family Psychotherapist –
‘Under the editorship of Jill Scharff, a group of excellent IPI psychoanalysts have created a timely, essential, and outstanding textbook of psychotherapy for use by all training bodies for professionals needing to understand children in a more in-depth manner. I was impressed by the comprehensive topics regarding children from infancy through late adolescence. This vast range of topics will enable professionals to comprehend, explore with children, and find ways of sensitively helping them relinquish impediments to their development and establish trustworthy relationships in which they can integrate aspects of their personality and build a competent and confident authentic self. The importance of creating a community of multidisciplinary concern through collaborative work between teachers, parents, and psychotherapists is also highlighted. Experienced clinicians will find that this book deepens their capacity to teach and be present for children, their parents, and trainees learning to work effectively with children and adolescents.’
Dr Angelina Archer MBACP, counselling psychologist, Therapy Today 36(9), November 2025. –
‘This book captures the complexity of psychodynamic theories beautifully. The cohesiveness of chapters from several contributing authors is a credit to the editor. The theories are supported by thought-provoking case studies and drawing that bring them to life […] The authors have successfully applied psychodynamic theory to modern clinical presentations and highlighted the potential challenges children face in various settings. As an integrative practitioner who uses psychodynamic theory, this book has been a valuable return to the basics. I wish it has been published when I was a trainee.’
Carl Bagnini, LCSW, BCD on 05/12/2024 –
‘This well edited introduction to child and adolescent psychoanalytic therapy has much to offer: The chapters are well organized by subject, and by the specific population served. While they are shorter than in other texts, the writing is clear and full of relevant clinical examples of the in vivo treatment situations with children, adolescents and families. There is also a focus on school settings, divorce, and neurodiverse populations. There is something of value in this compendium for early career therapists and seasoned therapists.
I recommend the reader start anywhere in the text that captures the clinical imagination, and work from there. You will not be disappointed.’