# Container and contained

- Link: https://clearingintheforest.org/container-and-contained/
- Published: 2026-10-20T21:58:44+00:00
- Author: Saal_clearingforest

[ 🌲 A clearing in the forest ](https://clearingintheforest.org/)

[ All pages ](https://clearingintheforest.org/?page_id=267#pages)

[ Freud ](https://clearingintheforest.org/?page_id=467)

Freud's friend →

[ Ferenczi ](https://clearingintheforest.org/?page_id=468)

Ferenczi's patient →

[ Klein ](https://clearingintheforest.org/?page_id=469)

Klein's rival →

[ Anna Freud ](https://clearingintheforest.org/?page_id=470)

Klein's patient →

[ Bion ](https://clearingintheforest.org/?page_id=471)

Feelings on the Move · 5 of 5

# Container and contained

How someone helps you hold a big feeling

WB

Meet the person

## Wilfred Bion

1897–1979

Born in Mathura, India. At about 20 he commanded a tank in the First World War and
won a medal for bravery. Afterwards he became a psychiatrist, and **Melanie Klein**
was his analyst. In 1962 he wrote _Learning from Experience_, where he described
the “container”.

## The idea

Babies can’t handle big feelings, so they cry them out. A good grown-up takes the
feeling in, stays calm and makes sense of it (“Oh, you’re hungry”). Then they hand
it back **smaller and easier to hold**. Do this thousands of times and the child
learns to do it alone. If nobody can hold the feeling, it bounces back _bigger_.
Bion called that “nameless dread”.

Container: out goes the scary feeling, back comes a feeling you can hold.

## Who are your containers?

There’s someone I can tell a bad feeling to who won’t panic.I usually feel lighter
after talking to them.I’ve been that calm person for a friend.Sometimes I can calm
myself down with nobody around.

If a feeling is too big to hold right now, tell a grown-up you trust. In the UK 
you can call **Childline** free on **0800 1111**.

## Spot it

Zoe gets home furious. Her dad doesn’t shout back. He says, “Sounds like today was
really unfair.” Zoe cries, then calms down. What was Dad doing?

## Be a container

Pick a spiky feeling. See what a container might say.

Tap a feeling above.

## All five on one page

Idea

Direction

What happens

Projection

Out →

I see my feeling in you

Introjection

← In

I carry your voice inside me

Projective identification

Out →

You end up really feeling my feeling

Introjective identification

← In

I become like you

Container

Out → ← In

You hold my feeling and give it back smaller

[ ← Anna Freud ](https://clearingintheforest.org/?page_id=470)

[ Back to the start ↺ ](https://clearingintheforest.org/?page_id=467)

▸ For grown-ups: sources

[Ref: Bion W.R. (1962) A theory of thinking. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
43:306–310]

[Ref: Bion W.R. (1962) Learning from Experience. London: Heinemann]

Written by **Dr Saal Seneviratne**, Consultant Psychiatrist at [The Burlington Clinic](https://www.theburlingtonclinic.com),
London · Last reviewed 21 October 2026 · [About these pages](https://clearingintheforest.org/about/)