This is the first book written in German that provides a comprehensive description of the first three years of life from a psychoanalytic perspective. The main focus is on how mothers and fathers (and other caregivers) help (or may not help) the child develop secure, rich, and creative inner and outer relationships through their behavior and responsiveness at various developmental stages. This book offers an extremely readable yet highly professional perspective on the critically important topic of early relationships between child and parents. It builds on the pioneering work of Freud and Klein and brings these ideas into the 21st century with admirable application.