Routledge The Baby as Subject: Clinical Studies in Infant–Parent Therapy

This book is a collection of papers by clinicians united in their conviction about the importance of directly engaging and interacting with the baby in the presence of the parents whenever possible. This approach, which draws on the work of Winnicott, Trevarthen and Stern, honours the baby as subject. It re-presents the baby to the parents who may in that way see a new child, in turn shaping the infant's implicit memories and reflective thinking. Recent neurobiological, attachment and developmental psychology models inform the work. The book describes the underpinning theoretical principles and the settings and forms of direct clinical practice, ranging from work with acutely ill babies, to more everyday interventions in crying, feeding and sleeping difficulties, as well as infant-parent psychotherapy. Clinicians at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne from the disciplines of psychiatry, psychoanalysis, psychology, nursing, speech pathology, child psychotherapy, paediatrics, and music therapy describe their work with ill and suffering babies and their families. Review "The spirit of Donald Winnicott has travelled to Australia and inspired a large team of infant mental health professionals to create a stimulating book of their learning and achievement, both practical and theoretical. This volume should appeal to all professionals who aspire to help troubled parent-infant relationships become 'good enough'."--Dr Juliet Hopkins, Honorary Consultant Child Psychotherapist "This book brings the reader even closer to the baby's experience through the imaginative work of these Australian clinicians, in the way that they have built their interventions around the individual "baby as subject in the presence of the parents." Coming from this perspective, the editors and authors deeply enrich the multidisciplinary field of infant mental health and the discipline of parent-infant psychotherapy."--Tessa Baradon, manager and lead clinician of the Anna Freud Centre Parent Infant Project, London, and Visiting Professor, School of Human and Community Development "This collaborative, thought-provoking collection by leading professionals from a range of disciplines is a gratifying work of substantial scholarship and clinical richness. With its singular emphasis on the importance upon understanding the experience of the baby in the parent-infant relationship, Campbell Paul and Frances Thomson-Salo have provided us with a compelling book, which should become an indispensable resource for professionals working with infants and their families everywhere. This thoughtful and humane volume is a remarkable addition to the field of infant and child mental health. A timely and invaluable book."--Professor J. Kevin Nugent, Director, the Brazelton Institute "This volume captures an approach to infant-parent therapeutic intervention where the experience of the infant is central. The infant is seen as a communicating subject with a unique perspective and capacity to engage and use the therapies described. A variety of case examples are used to powerfully illustrate the importance of direct work with the infant and the therapist's role in understanding the inner world of the infant."--Professor Louise Newman AM, Professor of Developmental Psychiatry, Director, Center for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology About the Author Campbell Paul