Sarah and the Fear of Growing Up – A Case Study in School Psychology, Examined From a Psychoanalytic Perspective

Abstract

Abstract: The field of school psychology has existed for 70 years in France. Although the goals of school psychologists are numerous, the main purpose is to help children be happy at school in their learning and socializing abilities. Either through a complete psychological assessment or simple interviews, the school psychologist will try to understand a child’s symptoms and how they express inner conflicts. Here, Sarah’s case, a young and bright 8-year-old schoolgirl, is examined here through a psychoanalytic perspective. Far from being bored at school, which is the reason why Sarah’s mother consulted the school psychologist, a different issue was revealed through projective tests (Rorschach and Children’s Apperception Test [CAT]). Behind creative and joyful answers, hides Sarah’s fear of growing up and this is narrowly linked with the anxiety of losing her parents, who are both in frail health with overweight problems. The discussion focuses on the value of projective and creative tools to understand the child’s inner conflicts and will highlight the link between creativity and anxiety.

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