Margaret Rustin’s writing is characterised not only by its subject matter, which is diverse, but by her imaginative sensitivity to the emotional lives of children and young people, the depth of her understanding, and her original insights into the complexities of child and adolescent psychotherapy.

Here a selection of her work, edited by Kate Stratton and Simon Cregeen, is brought together in a collection which focuses mainly on clinical issues and concerns: the dynamics of the interaction between patient and therapist in the consulting room; the task of assessment; the particular needs of children and young people whose early development has been distorted by trauma, loss or neglect; and the framework and skills required for effective psychoanalytic work with parents. Illustrated by vivid narratives detailing the strains and possibilities of the therapeutic encounter, this book is a record of clinical work and thinking over 50 years of psychoanalytic practice.

It will prove essential reading for psychoanalysts and child analysts, child psychotherapists, all those training as mental health professionals in work with children and parents, and anyone with an interest in deepening their understanding of the emotional lives of children and young people.