Denis Mellier

The psychic envelopes in psychoanalytic theories of infancy

This paper aims to review the topic of psychic envelopes and to sketch the main outlines of this concept in infancy. We first explore the origins of the concept in Freuds “protective shield” and then its development in adult psychoanalysis before going on to see how this fits in infancy with post-Bionian psychoanalysis and development. Four central notions guide this review: (1) Freuds “protective shield” describes a barrier to protect the psychic apparatus against potentially overflowing trauma. It is a core notion which highlights a serious clinical challenge for patients for whom the shield is damaged or faulty: the risk of confusion of borders between the internal/external world, conscious/unconscious, mind/body, or self-conservation/sexuality. (2) Anzieus “Skin-Ego” is defined by the different senses of the body. The different layers of experienced sensation, of this body-ego, go on to form the psychic envelope. This theory contributes to our understanding of how early trauma, due to the failures of maternal care, can continue to have an impact in adult life. (3) Bicks “psychic skin” establishes the concept in relation to infancy. The mothers containing functions allow a first psychic skin to develop, which then defines an infants psychic space and affords the infant a degree of self-containment. Houzel then conceptualized this process as a stabilization of drive forces. (4) Sterns “narrative envelope” derives from the intersection between psychoanalysis and neuroscience. It gives us another way to conceptualize the development of pre-verbal communication. It may also pave the way for a finer distinction of different types of envelopes. Ultimately, in this review we find that psychic envelopes in infancy can be viewed from four different perspectives (economic, topographical, dynamic, and genetic) and recommend further investigation.

The early psychic envelopes of infancy and the social and familial support of the mother

Abstract The early envelopes of the infant depend on the containing function of its mother who herself depends on the familial, social and cultural environment. The author investigates this topic through three cases. He compares observations from the first and second months of the babys life. The construction of differentiated psychic spaces between mother and baby depends on being able to face the impact of family pressures. The place and the task of the observer are profoundly close to these familial pressures. The author notices that in the second month, this differentiation is made more difficult when the mother has to face the imminent separation of a return to work.

The Evaluation of Social Competence and Internalizing and Externalizing Problem Behaviors of Frchch and Turkish Children by their Attachment Representations

Abstract The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between attachment representations of preschool children living in different cultures and their social competence, and between their attachment representations and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. The participants of this study were 44 children:20 French and 24 Turkish. The data were collected from Besancon, France and Ankara, Turkey in the academic year 2011-2012. Two measurement instruments (Attachment Story Completion Task and Preschool Socioaffective Profile) were used for data collection.The research findings reveal that the rate of secure attachment is higher in girls compared to boys, and that nationality does not play a determining role in the attachment styles.In Turkish children, anger-aggression scores and anxiety-withdrawal scores do not differ significantly by the attachment style, whereas social competence differs significantly by the attachment style.In French children, externalizing behavior problems scores do not differ significantly by the attachment style, whereas social competence and internalizing behavior problems scores differ significantly by the attachment style.

L'approche psychanalytique de l'observation du bébé dans sa famille, quel apport pour le groupe ?

L’auteur montre comment l’observation du bebe dans sa famille selon la methode d’Esther Bick est un apport pour la psychanalyse groupale.Il indique d’abord comment les observations sont distinguees pour situer cette demarche du cote d’un processus subjectivant et rappelle l’interet de l’observation en clinique institutionnelle.Il presente ensuite cette formation analytique qui repond a la nouvelle conception de M. Klein sur l’origine du transfert, celle des premieres relations objectales infantiles. Les differents temps constitutifs de cette methode, celui de l’ecriture de l’observation apres-coup et celui du travail associatif des points de vue en seminaire, sont ainsi au service du positionnement que l’observateur doit realiser au domicile d’une famille ou un bebe vient de naitre.Il illustre enfin les difficultes de contenance de l’observateur, et du travail du seminaire, avec quelques extraits de situations qui induisent de forts clivages emotionnels.

Le « monde » des bébés à la crèche

8 heures a la creche, entrons dans le monde des bebes Grâce a leurs evolutions, les creches, ou autres lieux multiaccueil, sont devenues des espaces potentiellement tres enrichissants pour les bebes, ou un vrai travail psychique doit constamment se realiser. Les enjeux lies a la separation sont tres differents selon les âges et la frequentation du lieu propre au bebe. La parole passe prioritairement chez le bebe d’un « monde » plutot sensoriel (avant 3 mois) a un « monde » ensuite plus regi par les emotions, avant l’emprunt d’un monde ou domine la representation, quelques mots, puis l’installation d’un « monde » plus proche de nous, directement domine par le langage verbal. Le contact avec les bebes suppose de pouvoir ainsi se mettre dans des disponibilites tres differentes les unes des autres. L’auteur souligne enfin l’emergence d’une nouvelle fonction sociale que remplissent ces lieux pour soutenir la parentalite et des situations d’enfants en graves difficultes, fonction qu’il est urgent de rendre plus explicite. Le propos repose sur differentes saynetes ou l’on voit les bebes lors de leur arrivee le matin a la creche.