Infant Observation

Anyone who works with people will benefit from undertaking an Infant Observation, especially therapists and counsellors. 

For those considering training in psychotherapy or analysis, it is indispensable in helping to develop your ‘analytic attitude’ – the capacity to maintain an objective stance while remaining emotionally open and reflecting on your countertransference responses.

The experience can activate early developmental areas of the psyche, which is why it is such a valuable aspect of training and also why individual Psychoanalytic or Jungian therapy (minimum 1 x weekly) throughout the course is essential for all applicants.

Participants observe a baby from birth until two years of age, paying close attention to how they relate to their carers and environment.

Observing an infant fine-tunes your ability to notice intricate and subtle details and recall sequences of interactions. By reflecting on your observations in a small seminar group, you then build up a picture of the unfolding inner world of the infants and their relationships.

The seminars offer a place to ‘feel into’ or empathically imagine the baby’s experience, to be curious and to explore ideas about what might be going on in the baby’s inner world.

The aims of the course are to help you to:

• Develop a keen understanding of the ways in which human beings develop
• Witness the intense psychosomatic experience of the human infant
• Enhance your attunement to non-verbal and pre-verbal communication
• Sharpen all your observational skills
• Deepen your attentiveness and analytic attitude
• Enrich an appreciation of counter-transference experiences
• Enhance clinical practice

The group and the seminar leader will help you to identify a suitable family who are expecting a baby. Participants then visit the infant in their family setting from birth. People observe until the baby’s second birthday.

In the seminars, each participant presents their observations in turn for confidential group discussion. The discussion is a chance to clarify, amplify and explore ideas about what might be happening at all sorts of levels. It can be especially fascinating to discover more about non-verbal and pre-verbal communication, and early states of mind and to see the difference between the various infants’ personalities and experiences.

While the seminar leader and the group will offer as much support as possible, if a student has not been able to find a family expecting a baby after 3 terms, we will review your place on the course with you.

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Association (PPA) Trainees

PPA trainees are only required to complete a one‑year observation, although they may choose to extend this period until the child’s second birthday. While the observation itself spans one year, trainees should note that identifying a suitable family and baby may take some time, and that seminar attendance is required for as long as their observation is ongoing. Consequently, the overall completion of the course exceeds one year.

Please note that the option to complete a one-year observation is only available to those who have been offered a place on the PPA Training. Those who have not yet been accepted onto the training will be expected to complete the two-year observation.

Observations last one hour a week throughout the year allowing for everyone’s holiday commitments, and after each visit, students write up detailed notes of what has been observed. The minimum time commitment for attending the observation, the seminar and writing up notes is half a day a week.

A number of seminar groups run at a variety of times on different days of the week in-person and online. Further information can be given at interview and at the time of acceptance.

Structure

• 10 seminars per term, 3 terms a year. There is a maximum number of 5 participants in each group.
• It may take longer than two years to complete the course. Additional terms will be charged separately.
• At the end of the course, participants are encouraged to write an Infant Observation paper. If applying to the bpf adult Jungian, Psychoanalytic or the Child and Adolescent Training, it may be considered a component module.

It is possible to join a seminar group at any point in the year depending on space availability. Participants who write a final paper will be awarded a Certificate by the bpf. Those opting not to write will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Time & location of the Infant Observation seminars
 

Infant Observation seminars are delivered either in-person or online, with different groups meeting on different days and times throughout the week. Places in each group are limited to a maximum of 5 participants. This means that, on some occasions, successful applicants may need to wait until a place becomes available in a suitable group, or a new group is formed.

We endeavour to find a suitable place for successful candidates as quickly as is possible.

Anyone who works with people will benefit from undertaking an Infant Observation, especially therapists and counsellors. 

For those considering training in psychotherapy or analysis, it is indispensable in helping to develop your ‘analytic attitude’ – the capacity to maintain an objective stance while remaining emotionally open and reflecting on your countertransference responses.

The experience can activate early developmental areas of the psyche, which is why it is such a valuable aspect of training and also why individual Psychoanalytic or Jungian therapy (minimum 1 x weekly) throughout the course is essential for all applicants.

All applicants will be interviewed for suitability.

On acceptance of an offer, all successful applicants will need to apply for DBS clearance at the Enhanced level before starting an observation. This can be done via the bpf.

The Infant Observation Course is primarily experiential, and we discourage you from reading theory, especially in the early stages of your observation. Theoretical concepts may be helpful when relevant to the individual observations under discussion and will be required when you come to write your final paper.  Seminar leaders can be approached for guidance.

Attend our Virtual Open Day to watch a presentation about this course.

The building has limited access – Please call us on 020 8452 9823 to discuss your needs.

Application Fee:

• For current PPA or BJAA  trainees, the application fee is £90.
• For all other applicants, the application fee is £170.

The application fee covers the cost of required interviews. Your application cannot be processed until you pay the application fee.

To apply for this course, click below:

Applications are accepted throughout the year. There is high demand for places on this course and for some groups there is a waiting list.