The Enigma of Childhood

In this book the author traces the way that early psychic development from birth up to three years is reflected throughout our lifespan, including adulthood, couplehood and parenthood. The inner child reverberating within us (consciously and unconsciously) and thus present in our ongoing interactions with others, often colours and guides our current experiences, whether with our life partner or children, and as psychotherapists, with our patients. Our openness to its resonance allows us to become more attuned to and emotionally accessible to ourselves and others.The author's primary aim is to familiarize the reader with her innovative idea of the emotional immune system managed by a healthy narcissism and operating via the inner reverberations of hidden childhood narratives. Our sense of familiar self is accordingly consolidated and immunised to an invasion by foreign sensations.

Ronnie Solan

Note regarding the use of gender-specific pronouns , Preface , Introduction and Acknowledgements , Permissions , The Oral Stage-The Stage of Intimacy , Beginnings , Narcissism: an immune system for the self , The ego: an emotional self-regulation agency , Object relations: the attachment system , The Anal Stage-A Time of Negotiation , The progress of narcissism in the anal stage , Consolidation of the ego , The dynamics of object relations in the anal stage , Healthy and pathological narcissistic processes , Summary , Epilogue