Description |
Selma Fraiberg planted the seeds for psychoanalytic infant-parent work over 40 years ago; since then, contemporary efforts have been deeply enriched by developments in infant research, relational psychoanalysis, as well as attachment and mentalization theories, with their particular focus on affect regulation, intersubjectivity, and intergenerational transmission of fear and trauma. This presentation will include a discussion of the theoretical frameworks of a reflective parenting approach, including a detailed description of parental reflective functioning, a description of the fundamental aspects of mentalization-based infant-parent work, and a summary of a randomized clinical trial and preliminary findings. The processes whereby clinicians observe and evaluate a parent’s reflective capacities, and engage parents in becoming more reflective and sensitive in their parenting will be addressed. This will involve an in-depth look at what parental reflective functioning looks like in the clinical situation, as well as a discussion of case material and clinical vignettes demonstrating clinical strategies for working with breakdowns in mentalization. Finally, a discussion of a reflective home visiting program Minding the Baby®, will provide a clinical illustration of these principles. MTB is an interdisciplinary home visiting intervention that engages mothers before they give birth, with the goal of interrupting cycles of traumatizing, disrupted interactions, and developing more attuned interactions that culminate in a more secure attachment and appropriate development.
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