Premium
Mother–infant psychotherapy: Examining the therapeutic process of change
Author(s) -
Paris Ruth,
Spielman Eda,
Bolton Rendelle E.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
infant mental health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1097-0355
pISSN - 0163-9641
DOI - 10.1002/imhj.20216
Subject(s) - dyad , infant mental health , psychology , psychotherapist , alliance , infant development , child psychotherapy , stern , mood , therapeutic relationship , miller , developmental psychology , mental health , clinical psychology , ecology , marine engineering , political science , law , biology , engineering
Treatments that involve the mother–infant dyad have shown great potential for mitigating the deleterious effects of maternal mental health problems for the mother, infant, and the mother–infant relationship. The present study utilizes focus‐group data from clinicians providing mother–infant psychotherapy in the Early Connections program, a home‐based mother–infant psychotherapy for the treatment of postpartum mood disorders. Findings highlight aspects of the process in mother–infant psychotherapy that contribute to change and positive relational development in the mother–infant dyad as well as in the therapeutic alliance. Viewed through the lens of relational theories relevant to mother–infant treatment (J.V. Jordan, A.G. Kaplan, J.B. Miller, I.P. Stiver, & J.L. Surrey, 1991; D.N. Stern et al., 1998), the findings of this study support the importance of the relational connection and the “now moment” (D.N. Stern et al., 1998, p. 304) as catalytic factors in change and growth that occur during psychotherapy. Implications for clinical practice and directions for future research are discussed.