Observing infants over time in their family setting provides the foundation for understanding early development and the parent-child relationship. The experience of close observation also builds awareness of the observer’s internal experiences and responses, a critical base for therapeutic work. Formal training in infant observation has long played a role in the training of psychotherapy professionals and child development specialists. Observers become sensitized to intricate aspects of infant behavior and parent-infant interaction. The observer learns to look at multiple levels of behavior, interaction, and feeling, emphasizing the infant’s developing capacities, the mother’s and/or father’s evolving identity, and the development of attachment in the context of the family.
The course includes a weekly two-hour small group seminar; weekly one-hour observations of an infant-parent dyad; written observations; and readings on aspects of infant observation, development, and infant-parent interaction.
Who Should Apply
Infant Observation provides a rich experience for professionals across a wide spectrum of disciplines. Our students have included social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, early childhood educators, nurses, doulas, occupational and physical therapists, and early intervention specialists. While this course is of special interest to those working with parents and young children, it also offers a unique opportunity for mental health providers of all disciplines who are interested in early attachment, affect regulation, and non-verbal communication.
Class meets for two hours weekly, from September through June.
JF&CS Headquarters
1430 Main Street, Waltham
Cost: Tuition is $1,800. Class size is limited to fve students. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. CEU’s available for some disciplines.
Download Application
Please send completed application, resume, and tuition deposit of $50 (checks payable to JF&CS) to: Deb Walker, Infant-Parent Training Institute, JF&CS, 1430 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02451
To make a credit card payment or for more information, please call 781-693-5652.
The Infant-Parent Training Institute is a Training Affiliate of the Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry, which is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.