Infant and Young Child Observation Training Program
Nydia Lisman-Pieczanski, MD, Chair
The two-year training in Infant and Young Child Observation is conducted by a multi-disciplinary faculty of child, adult, couple and family psychotherapists and psychoanalysts experienced in the model of Infant and Young Child Observation as pioneered and developed by Esther Bick at the Tavistock Clinic in London.
This course is designed to enhance awareness and understanding of human development and interaction in all cultures and ethnic groups. Sharpening the ability to look closely at and attribute meaning to what is happening before one's eyes strengthens the observer's emotional and intellectual receptivity and capacity for professional work whether that work is in the field of social work, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, midwifery, teaching, child care, or any other allied profession.
Observations of an infant and young child serve as the cornerstone of the Program curriculum. The student engages in a prearranged, one-hour visit to a family each week for up to two years to quietly and unobtrusively observe a baby and its interactions with family members from birth onwards. During the second year of the Program, each student will also observe a young child between the ages of 2–4 for an hour a week either at home or in a nursery school or day care setting. Detailed notes are written by the student and they are discussed in a small seminar group, where the anonymity of the family is preserved and the rules of confidentiality strictly kept. Each seminar group will consist of about five people, who, with their seminar leader(s), will have the chance to get to know all the babies. Observers thus learn about one baby in depth and a number of others to a lesser degree.
LEARNING TO OBSERVE AND WONDER
"This kind of mental functioning requires a capacity to tolerate anxiety, uncertainty, discomfort, helplessness, a sense of bombardment. It is the personal equipment needed by a psychoanalytic psychotherapist." (Margaret Rustin, "Encountering Primitive Anxieties" in Closely Observed Infants)
Studying babies and their mothers/family members over a long period of time means that we have an unique opportunity to perceive patterns in the making. Observers come to apprehend how relationships are developed and how we become part of each other's world and to recognize the persistence of infantile patterns of behavior in later life.
Observation is more than simply looking: it involves the observer taking in and holding in mind the physical and emotional experiences of the baby or young child and his family and attempting, in time, to construct meaning from these experiences. In bearing witness to the intimacy and intricacies of the evolving relationship between a baby and its caretakers, observation promotes a deep appreciation for the manifest and latent processes that underlie child development.
PROGRAM GOALS
- Develop observational, reflective, and therapeutic skills
- Understand communication and the therapeutic process
- Gain a foundation for psychodynamic thinking
- Apply psychoanalytic concepts to current workplace practice
- Learn together across professional boundaries to reflect and strengthen practice
- Gain an increased understanding of the factors that promote healthy emotional development in individuals and families
CURRICULUM
Seminars will include theoretical, clinical and experiential learning to provide a stimulating and rich experience. There will be generous discussion time to give students the opportunity to integrate the range of ideas and to find useful applications in their work setting. Learning about object relations and developmental theories while having one's own experience of doing an infant observation, as well as opportunities for discussion on-going work and clinical cases, will enable students to absorb and integrate a range of perspectives and ideas.
YEAR ONE
- Infant Observation and Infant Observation Seminar
- Theory and Practice Seminar - Foundation in Psychodynamic Theories and in Observational Studies Readings
- Work Discussion Seminar - Application of Observational Studies in Different Settings
YEAR TWO
- Infant Observation and Infant Observation Seminar
- Young Child Observation and Young Child Observation Seminar in alternate weeks with Theory and Practice Seminar
- Work Discussion Seminar - including One-Way Mirror Interventions conducted by faculty members followed by clinical discussion
We will explore many situations: The impact of medical illness, sleep disturbances, feeding problems, postnatal depression in mothers, premature babies, bereavement, multiple births, abuse and trauma on children and their families, and many others. Through thinking together students will build a deeper understanding of the particular emotional context in which these difficulties are arising and develop ideas about effective interventions to relieve them.
ELIGIBILITY
Applications are welcome from:
- Mental Health Professionals
- Medical practitioners
- Case workers in public and private organizations
- Professionals working in protective services, prisons, social and probation services
All levels of experience are welcome. Since students entering the Program may come from different areas of interest and training, each student's development in the Program will be closely attended to by a core faculty member to give ample attention to individual needs.
SCHEDULE
Classes will be held on Monday evenings, beginning September 2008 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
TUITION
Tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year is $2,250. Supervision fee is included; books and materials additional.
Scholarship
A scholarship in the program has been established, donated by the Ethan Naftalin Memorial Fund.
FACULTY
- Nydia Lisman-Pieczanski, MD, Chair
- Sharon Alperovitz, MSW
- Deborah Blessing, MSW
- Carla Elliot-Neely, PhD
- Rachel Kaplan, MSW
- Jaedene Levy, MSW
- Karyne Messina, EdD
- Alberto Pieczanski, MD
- Justine Kalas Reeves, PhD
- Karen Weise, PhD