Robert's Interview

Robert is a nine year old boy who lives with his parents and two sisters aged seven and five. Robert was referred by his parents due to difficulties at both home and school. Robert’s father requested he was interviewed before Robert. Robert’s interview was a few months later. He was accompanied by his mother who presented as an anxious, serious and depressive person. Robert has inherited similar features and mannerisms as his father. Robert was appropriately dressed, very polite and smiling. Robert appeared to be in good health and was happy to discuss the badge he was wearing and what it represented. When Robert was born his father was away with the army. There were complications at birth and his mother was at the mercy of everyone.
Robert named the fat one ‘mother’ newt, and another newt ‘father’. Robert’s father stated that whilst Robert and his mother had a close bond, when Robert played with the newts he was quite cruel to the mother newt. During the interview Robert was cooperative in playing the squiggle game. His initial drawings were related to his main interest in trains. This is age appropriate. He also drew an octopus, which led to Robert discussing his ‘Tissie’. Tissie was his transitional object which he had since the age of one. Robert stated he used to constantly suck, chew and bite Tissie. Tissie became so unhygienic that his mother couldn’t stand it any longer and burned it. Robert stated that he grieved for Tissie for a very long time. As Robert became more comfortable in the clinical setting, his unconscious fantasies began to present themselves. Robert began to discuss and draw his nightmares. Robert drew a house on fire and acknowledged the dream gave him an erection. Robert also drew a picture of a reoccurring dream of burglars who stole jewels. Fantasising about cops and robbers is appropriate to the latency age. In this dream the burglar shot a hole in the window. Through the hole, Robert could see the garden he liked to play in with his
He is in love with his mother, but is transitioning to wanting to be like his father. Robert has a very close relationship with his mother and fantasises about her being well and playing in the garden with her. Robert identifies with his father and takes responsibility for the care of his mother. As a result, on Sunday nights and at the end of school holidays, Robert refuses to go to school as he worries about his mother and thinks he shouldn’t leave her. This cause internal turmoil for Robert. He represses his negative affects towards his mother by displacing these feelings onto the newts in his