'Sleeping Beauties': avoidance of adolescence

What is it about?

The author explores problems of adolescence using the Brother Grimms’ fairy tale ‘Sleeping Beauty’. Use of the characters in a fairy tale allows an analyst to play with the different roles the patient unconsciously assigns him or her. The author conceives of the avoidance of adolescent turbulence as one common reaction to adolescence, but one that can also become entrenched, and result in a restriction of emotional growth. The therapist of such an adolescent may need to allow them to be ‘somnolent’ for some time, but may eventually need to wake them (metaphorically) or even pierce the somnolent, avoidant state. The author uses clinical vignettes of late adolescents to demonstrate such transitions.

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