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Melanie Klein | |
|---|---|
 Melanie Klein in 1952 | |
| Born | Melanie Reizes 30 March 1882 |
| Died | 22 September 1960 (aged 78) London, England |
| Known for | Therapeutic techniques for children Coining the term 'reparation' Klein's theory splitting Projective identification |
| Children | Melitta Schmideberg |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Psychoanalysis |
Melanie Klein (née Reizes; 30 March 1882 – 22 September 1960) was an Austrian-British author and psychoanalyst known for her work in child analysis. She was the primary figure in the development of object relations theory. Klein suggested that pre-verbal existential anxiety in infancy catalyzed the formation of the unconscious, which resulted in the unconscious splitting of the world into good and bad idealizations. In her theory, how the child resolves that split depends on the constitution of the child and the character of nurturing the child experiences. The quality of resolution can inform the presence, absence, and/or type of distresses a person experiences later in life.[1]
- ^ R. D. Hinshelwood: Clinical Klein, Basic Books, 2003, ISBN 978-0465029754