Naughty Girls Commentary on Paper by Jackie L. Cohen

In response to Cohen's rich and evocative presentation of her case of Lisa, I offer some additional perspectives on the material. Labeling Lisa a “naughty girl,” I explore the relevance of Winnicott's notions of the antisocial tendency and of the pathology of self-sufficiency, something Corrigan and I have called the mind object. I have looked at the treatment in terms of the facilitation of regression to dependence and a child's reconnection to her body. Herzog's concept of father hunger leads me to an exploration of Lisa's finding the father in her therapist, which helps her separate from omnipotent internal objects and accept the individuality of the other. Finally, inspired by Cohen's characterization of her treatment of Lisa as “relational and action oriented,” I attempt to review what I believe is essential to child treatment and what is beautifully illustrated in Cohen's work.