The Infant Observation Course at the Analytical Psychotherapy Training: Central England

ETHOS

Infant observation has been an integral part of the Analytical Psychotherapy Training: Birmingham (previously the West Midlands Jungian Training in Analytical Psychotherapy) since its foundation in 1990.

The infant observation course is suitable both for psychotherapists wishing to enhance their professional practice with a deeper understanding of the baby’s early life and relationships, and for those considering training in psychotherapy.

Origins of Infant Observation

As a discipline, infant observation has a long-standing tradition. It began more than 76 years ago at the Tavistock Clinic as part of the first child psychotherapy training. Its inception and development are primarily associated with Esther Bick. Although Bick wrote relatively little—only four published papers—her pioneering ideas, grounded in her observational experience, have had a profound and enduring influence on psychoanalytic understanding of primitive emotional states in the baby. As a skilled observer and inspiring teacher, she laid the foundations for an approach offering a powerful window into the infant’s world.

The Nature of Infant Observation

The term “infant observation” may not be immediately descriptive and can be confused with “infant research.” Infant research, in contrast, uses controlled experiments to study development and behaviour in babies. While such research has contributed valuable insights into early social competence and self-development, infant observation, as offered here, exemplifies a radically different, naturalistic model.

Infant observation takes place within the family and emphasises depth, particularity, and unconscious communication. The observer’s task is to enter the baby’s world, observing minutely the child’s experience, particularly in relation to the mother. Observers are encouraged to set aside existing theories and presuppositions and remain open to the immediate experience, attending not only to the child but also to their own emotional responses. Counter-transference is central to the observational process.

This exploration provides a vivid sense of the interplay between psyche and soma and offers observers the opportunity to witness the crucial power of relationship first hand.

The Place of Seminars

The spirit of openness and enquiry in infant observation is cultivated in the seminars. Collective explorations in seminar meetings are essential to the process, providing a space to share uncertainties, reflect on emotional responses, and develop the capacity to bear and understand anxiety.

While infant observation is not primarily theory-driven, seminars create opportunities to connect observation with theory. Observations can bring theories to life, clarify complex concepts, or even challenge established psychoanalytic ideas, highlighting the evolving and provisional nature of theory.

Infant Observation and Clinical Practice

Infant observation primarily enriches understanding of child development. Grounded in empathic awareness, it also offers valuable self-reflection for the observer, evoking early experiences and supporting personal growth.

Being fully present with the patient is central to psychotherapeutic work, and infant observation mirrors this. The observer adopts a reverent, receptive stance, bearing anxiety and waiting attentively, similar to the clinical setting. It aligns with Bion’s guidance to leave behind memory and desire in the consulting room and with Freud’s emphasis on careful observation over hasty interpretation.

Infant observation requires commitment and openness to change. While demanding, it is almost universally regarded as a profoundly transformative experience, both personally and professionally.

Relation to the Analytical Psychotherapy Training Committee

This Infant Observation course is offered under the auspices of the West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy’s Analytical Psychotherapy Training Committee, who oversee its delivery. While it functions as a stand-alone CPD course, it aligns with the adult analytical training ethos, valuing richness, diversity, and authenticity. The experience fosters an open, questioning, lively, and evolving educational environment.