CHILD GUIDANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 23

CHILD GUIDANCE

TREATING COMPLEXES WORK IN UNITED STATES METHODS OF ADJUSTMENT [nv TELEGRAPH —OWN* correspondent] WELLINGTON, Friday

Keenly interested in mental therapy and special phychiatric work which she studied at tho University of Chicago, Mrs. Lipson, wife of Professor L. Lipson, who recently arrived at Wellington, hopes to continue in New Zealand the work which she has done in these directions in England and tho United States. Mrs. Lipson has a degree in psychology. In Chicago Mrs. Lipson was attached to n mental hospital as a social worker, assisting tho psychiatrists who dealt with tho inoro advanced cases and treating those in the earlier stages. She also did similar work at tho Tavistock Hospital in London. Her chief enthusiasm, however, is for child guidance. -

"Mental disorders are like physical ones," she said, "in that tliey aro moro easily treated in the early stages. Many children who are unhappy for some reason at home or at school develop complexes which tho difficulties of modern living do nothing to mitigate. Tho aim of child guidance is to help the child to adjust itself to its living conditions, and this can often bo done quite easily. "In the United States, child guidance clinics often work in conjunction with the schools," said Mrs. Lipson. She explained that in this way the social worker was able to got in touch with children who wero bullies, who did not get 011 with tho other school children or with their teachers, or who were producing work that was inferior to their standard of intelligence. Often child complexes were caused because tho teacher or tho parent did not understand tho child. In those cases also tho social worker could help to solve tho difficulty.