Psychoanalytic treatment of children

Psychoanalytic approaches

There are several different techniques to approach the psychoanalytic treatment of children. If children are at a very young age an adapted psychoanalytic technique maybe necessary. In some cases parent-infant psychotherapy is a possibility. Two techniques will be discussed: Parent-Infant Psychotherapy and Mentaliseren Bevorderende Kinder Therapies (MBKT). Parent-Infant Psychotherapy addresses problems with normal relationships between parent and child. MBKT addresses problems with an infant's ability to distinguish reality and fantasy.

Parent-Infant Psychotherapy

If the normal course of secure attachment between parent and infant is disrupted, parent-infant psychotherapy is one technique that can be used to restore this bond. This technique requires a three-way relationship between the parent, child and therapist. During the therapy sessions the parent expresses his or her thoughts and feelings which are based on a combination of factors including:

1. The parent's experiences as a child
2. The parent's expectations and hopes for the child's future
3. The relationships the parent has with other people

The therapist's role is as an observer and an interpreter of the interaction between the infant and the parent. He might share some of his thoughts about the behaviour of the child with the parent and by doing so offering the parent an alternative way of experiencing the child. This technique helps the parent to resolve issues with his or her own infancy-experiences in order to restore secure attachment with the infant. And it helps lower the risk for psycho pathological developments of the child in the future.

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