Elucidating the Transference Using the Child’s Dream

There is generally wide acceptance that transference develops in child and adolescent psychoanalytic treatments. The interpretation of the transference is an important aspect of analytic technique, leading to both insight and clinical improvement. This article uses vignettes to demonstrate how interpretation of a child’s dreams may help the analyst and the young patient understand the patient’s feelings about the analyst, and may ultimately provide the patient with transformative insights regarding the important people in his life.