Françoise Dolto: Who was this woman Psychoanalyst in the Fight for Children?

 

Childhood and Early Influences

Françoise Dolto Marette, the maiden name of Françoise Dolto, was born in Paris in 1908, the fourth of seven siblings, in a privileged Parisian family with a strong Christian culture. From a young age, she showed a deep interest in the well-being of children, dreaming of becoming a medical educator to help families and improve the emotional conditions of children.

Her childhood was marked by a difficult relationship with her mother, who had strict expectations and believed that Françoise’s only role was to get married.

Whenever Dolto spoke about discovering her vocation, she recalled an episode with a baby, her younger brother. After witnessing an argument between the nanny and the cook, the baby vomited. When the doctor was called, he was put on a restrictive diet. However, Dolto understood that the vomiting was not just a physical reaction but an emotional response—something she could not yet name at the time but which already revealed her ability to perceive the unconscious dimension of children’s lives.

The death of her older sister when Françoise was just 12 years old deeply affected her family, with her mother blaming her for the loss, which created a sense of inadequacy that stayed with her throughout her life. Later, she married Boris Dolto, with whom she had two children: Yvan-Chrisostome Dolto and Catherine Dolto.

Academic Background

Determined to follow her path, Dolto graduated in medicine, specializing in pediatrics, despite her mother’s opposition. Her experience with psychoanalysis, which began with René Laforgue, was crucial in helping her overcome the conflicts with her mother and sparked her interest in child psychoanalysis. Dolto began to investigate how babies and young children communicate, even before developing verbal skills, focusing on non-verbal cues and body language.

Innovations

Françoise Dolto was one of the pioneers of child psychoanalysis, bringing innovative contributions that changed the way we understand the emotional development of children. She integrated psychoanalysis with pediatrics, proposing that children’s symptoms often reflected family traumas and dynamics. Dolto stated that babies and young children already possessed a body and emotional language that preceded speech.

For her, psychoanalysts should “translate” this language and interact with children as subjects with their own desires, respecting their non-verbal communication. Additionally, Dolto was one of the first to assert that a person begins to form from conception, influenced by the unconscious and desire. She also theorized the importance of telling the truth to children, as they are highly sensitive to the “unsaid.” She believed that even when the truth was painful, it should be shared with the child, respecting their unconscious ability to perceive what is being concealed.

 

“I am deeply convinced that one cannot treat a child without speaking the truth of what we feel and think while being with them. Speaking the truth means considering the one in front of us as a man or woman in the making, who is entirely language in their being, having the body of a child, but understanding everything we say.” (Dolto in “The Mirror Child”, 1987).

 

Professional Techniques

Dolto developed new practices in child psychoanalysis, emphasising the importance of body language and non-verbal communication. She used few toys, preferring resources like drawings and play dough. She also suggested that children contribute to the “payment” of the sessions, whether with drawings or small stones, as a way to involve them in the therapeutic process.

Radio Programs

Beetween 1976 and 1978, Dolto pioneered bringing psychoanalysis to the general public through radio programs.She responded to letters from parents and gained enormous success through this interaction. She discussed issues such as parental separation, family secrets, and the importance of listening to children in an accessible and welcoming manner. Her programs helped demystify psychoanalysis and promoted a deeper understanding of children’s emotional development, educating parents and broadening support for families.

Maison Verte

In 1979, Dolto opened the “Maison Verte” (Green House) in Paris, an innovative space where children ( from zero to three years old ) and their families could play and interact under the supervision of professionals. Unlike traditional therapeutic centers, the Maison Verte provided a safe and welcoming environment that encouraged listening to and expressing the children’s needs. The goal was to prevent childhood trauma and strengthen family bonds. The initiative was so successful that it inspired the creation of similar centers in various other countries.

Legacy and Last words 

Françoise Dolto was a central figure in child psychoanalysis, with her innovative contributions to body language, the unconscious, and emotional development in children. She co-founded the “École Freudienne de Paris” alongside Jacques Lacan, solidifying her influence in psychoanalysis.

Dolto passed away in 1988 as a result of a lung condition, but her legacy continues to impact child psychology and psychoanalysis, inspiring new generations of psychoanalysts and researchers to deepen the study of child psychoanalysis.

In her final words, Dolto asked for the continued fight for the cause of children, reflecting her dedication to studying and promoting children’s rights.

 

Published Books

• Psychoanalysis and Pediatrics (Medical Thesis), 1971
• The Case of Dominique (Dominique: Analysis of an Adolescent), Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1971; English edition: Dominique: Analysis of an Adolescent, Souvenir Press, 1974
• The Gospel at the Risk of Psychoanalysis , Édition Jean-Pierre Délarge, 1977
• The Game of Desire, Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1981
• Seminar on Child Psychoanalysis (co-authored with Louis Caldaguès), Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1982
• Female Sexuality, Éditions Scarabée/A. M. Métailié, 1982
• The Unconscious Image of the Body, Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1984
• Seminar on Child Psychoanalysis (co-authored with Jean-François de Sauverzac), Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1985
• Solitude, Éditions Vertiges, Paris, 1985
• The Cause of Children, Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 1985
• Childhood, Paris, 1986
• Female Libido, Éditions Carrère, Paris, 1987
• The Mirror Child (with Juan David Nasio), Éditions Rivages, Paris, 1987
• The Cause of Adolescents, Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 1988
• When Parents Separate (co-authored with Inès de Angelino), Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1988
• School Failure, Éditions Vertiges du Nord, 1989
• Self-Portrait of a Psychoanalyst, Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1989
• Words for Adolescents or the Lobster Complex, Éditions Hattier, 1989
• When the Child Appears, Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1990
• The Major Stages of Childhood, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 1994
• The Paths of Education, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 1994
• The Difficulty of Living, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 1995
• Everything is Language, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 1995
• The Sense of Self: The Sources of Image and Body, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 1997
• The Feminine, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 1998
• The Wave and the Ocean: Seminar on Death Drives (1970-1971), Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 2003
• Youth Letters: Correspondence, 1913-1938, Éditions Gallimard, Paris; revised and augmented in 2003
• A Life of Correspondence: 1938-1988, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 2005
• A Psychoanalyst in the City: The Adventure of the Maison Verte, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, 2009