Margaret I. Little (21 May 1901 – 27 November 1994) was a British psychoanalyst of the British
Middle Group
The Independent or Middle Group of British analysts represents one of the three distinct sub-schools of the British Psychoanalytical Society, and 'developed what is known as the ''British independent'' perspective, which argued that the primary mo ...
, and an influential figure in the creation of
object relations theory
Object relations theory is a school of thought in psychoanalytic theory centered around theories of stages of ego development. Its concerns include the relation of the psyche to others in childhood and the exploration of relationships between ...
, particularly as an early proponent of the utility of
countertransference
Countertransference
is defined as redirection of a psychotherapist's feelings toward a client – or, more generally, as a therapist's emotional entanglement with a client.
Early formulations
The phenomenon of countertransference (german: G ...
in the analytic process.
Training and contributions
Little's second analysis was with
Ella Freeman Sharpe, and her third with
D. W. Winnicott; and it was out of her experiences as analysand that she wrote her seminal article of 1951 on 'Counter-transference and the patient's response to it'. There she insisted on the element of reality in the patient's perception of the analyst, and the way it could serve as a mirror for the analyst in illuminating the countertransference. She continued her exploration of the total quality of the analyst's response to the patient in later writings.
She also took issue with what she saw as the coercive side of
free association, maintaining that "We no longer 'require' our patients to tell us everything that is in their minds. On the contrary, we give them permission to do so".
Selected writings
* '"R" - The Analyst's Total Response to His Patient's Needs', ''International Journal of Psycho-Analysis'' 38 (1957) 240-54
* 'On the value of regression to dependence', ''Free Associations'' (1987) 10:7-22
* ''Transference Neurosis and Transference Psychosis'' (1981)
See also
*
Body-centred countertransference
Body-centred countertransference involves a psychotherapist's experiencing the physical state of the patient in a clinical context. Also known as somatic countertransference, it can incorporate the therapist's gut feelings, as well as changes to ...
*
Paula Heimann
Paula Heimann (née Klatzko; 2 February 1899 – 22 October 1982) was a German psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, who established the phenomenon of countertransference as an important tool of psychoanalytic treatment.
Life in Germany
Born in ...
*
Robert Langs
Robert Joseph Langs (June 30, 1928 – November 8, 2014) was a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychoanalyst. He was the author, co-author, or editor of more than forty books on psychotherapy and human psychology. Over the course of more t ...
References
External links
Margaret Little
{{DEFAULTSORT:Little, Margaret
1901 births
1994 deaths
British psychoanalysts
Object relations theorists
Analysands of Ella Freeman Sharpe
Analysands of D. W. Winnicott