'In this book it is made plain that complex and powerful understanding can take place in brief work. The baby's development is carried forward, the family re-groups differently, and understanding brings a change in behaviour.'- Lisa Miller, from the Foreword. 'This book focuses on young children as old as five and the parents and siblings who live with them. It wants to explore deep, unconscious connections between children and parents, especially in those cases where symptomatic behaviours develop and turn a potentially pleasant and satisfying family life into hell.' - This fascinating and comprehensive work is divided into two parts. The first gives the theoretical background to the subject, outlining the main theories of the pioneering Melanie Klein, Wilfred Bion and Donald Winnicott. The second part deals with the clinical cases that illustrate issues such as post-natal depression, separation difficulties, eating problems, bereavement and loss, learning disabilities and hyperactivity.

Foreword , Biographical Note , Summary , Theoretical Background , Introduction , The importance of infant observation in under fives' counselling , Outlines of psychodynamic under fives' counselling and theoretical background , Clinical Cases , Introduction , Post-natal maternal depression , Separation difficulties and parental input , Eating problems , The little girl who could not sleep, or psychic bolts 1 , Soiling 1 , Gender identity , Bereavement and loss , Learning disabilities , The borderline child and the establishment of internal reins , Hyperactivity and Ritalin 1 , Mental illness in the family , The use of under fives' counselling as parental guidance with severely developmentally delayed children , Under fives' counselling as a form of assessment 1 , Consultation to a nursery school 1 , Parents' line , Concluding remarks