The constitution of the symbol and the analytical process according to Winnicott

Abstract

We intent to show that, for Winnicott, the base of the symbolization process is in the activity that characterizes the expansion of the area of transitional phenomena. Melanie Klein considers that the relation with objects that are symbols of other objects occurs as a defense strategy against anxiety that results from object relations, while for Winnicott, this relation derives from the play activity and creativity associated to it. This difference characterizes the way each of the authors conceives the entering of the human being in cultural life and how they conceive the objectives of the psychoanalytical treatment method.