Parent-Infant Psychotherapy focuses on the relationship between parents and their infant. The goal of parent-infant psychotherapy is to develop and sustain healthy attachment between parent and infant. This is done by the therapist providing the parent(s) with a safe space to explore their feelings about parenthood, thoughts on how they were parented and concerns about their relationships with each other and their infant. Another goal of parent-infant psychotherapy is helping parents keep their babies “in mind” physically, emotionally, and developmentally.
Parent-Infant Psychotherapy allows parents to explore and to try to understand the meaning of their babies communications and their responses to these. In doing this, parents capacity for reflection increases and consequently their knowledge and sensitivity to their babies needs increases too.
Parent-infant psychotherapy assists:
- Mothers suffering from Post Natal Depression
- Mothers suffering from persistent feelings of stress and anxiety following a traumatic birth
- Parents experiencing feelings of low mood, anxiety or difficulty in adjusting to parenthood
- Previous experiences of difficult pregnancies
- Parents who feel exhausted, depressed, anxious, angry or unable to cope
- Parents experiencing tension and conflict resulting from relationship difficulties
- Parents who are lacking confidence in baby care or parenting abilities.
When a parent is concerned that their baby:
- Is not eating or growing as expected
- Is experiencing sleep problems
- Cries excessively and isn’t easily comforted
- Is having difficulties separating