Description Michael Fordham’s pioneering work on the archetypes and the self in childhood has spanned almost fifty years. This was the first book to present a Jungian model of development and was path breaking for child development. Since then, the accumulation of evidence from experimental, observational and analytical sources has added weight to the conception that the dynamic of the self is an important feature of development. It has greatly strengthened Fordham’s view of an infant as an individual and made it possible for him to clarify and expand on his ideas. The book includes many fascinating descriptions from Fordham’s practice, and experience of infant observation studies, but in addition it provides the basic conceptions on which the burgeoning Jungian approach to child analysis is based. It is essential reading for students and professionals in child care and psychotherapy.
