The contribution of early memories and dreams to the diagnostic process

Earliest Childhood Memories: Four Theoretical Perspectives

Four separate lines of thought relevant to a theory of early memories (EMs) have appeared in the literature--Freud's, Adler's, an ego psychology view and one adapted from memory theory, Each view was presented in turn and discussed in terms of its implications for assessment and treatment. It was pointed out that none of these four theories addresses several issues relevant to the individual who plans to do research with EMs.