Loss, Mourning, and the Developmental Process: Thoughts on Jane

This is the discussion of the analysis of an adolescent who had traumatically lost her mother as a school-age child. Using the case material presented by Cheryl Collins, the discussion will present the unconscious developmental dilemma posed by loss. Faced with the pain of loss, the process of development may deviate into a painful world of melancholia, nostalgia, and the repeated experiencing of the disappointing and painful object relationships of a closed system. Analysis offers the patient the opportunity to begin the grieving process, introduce new objects, and further the adaptive developmental process of increasingly organized complexity.

Automated summary

This article discusses the analysis of an adolescent who experienced the traumatic loss of her mother during her school-age years. Through the presented case material, it explores the unconscious developmental dilemma caused by such loss. Faced with the pain of losing a loved one, the developmental process may deviate into a world of melancholy, nostalgia, and repeated experiences of disappointing and painful object relationships within a closed system. Analysis provides the patient with an opportunity to initiate the grieving process, introduce new objects, and facilitate adaptive developmental progress towards increasing complexity.