Parent-Infant/Toddler
Psychotherapy

Why and When Would a Parent Seek out Parent–Infant or Parent-Toddler psychotherapy?

Life events and circumstances contributing to becoming pregnant or adopting a baby can significantly impact the parenting process. In turn, the parenting infants receive shapes their development and provides the basic reservoir from which they draw unconsciously throughout their lives. The weight of responsibility a parent experiences when caring for a newborn can be demanding, especially in the early days and months. This can be a very stressful time for parents or primary caregivers as life is disrupted and their relationships are altered.

Parent-Infant and Parent-Toddler psychotherapy helps parents and their young children to understand their relationship and to work through a difficult period. In the parenting process, parents discover that they have the opportunity to re-parent themselves and come to terms with unresolved loss, trauma or neglect. The focus may be on a postpartum depression in the mother, which can be debilitating. The focus may also be on feeding, sleeping, medical illness of the baby or any family situation that impacts the caretaking experience. In addition with focusing on the parents’ needs, we reflect on what the baby is trying to communicate through play. The parent-infant therapist picks up non-verbal nuances and helps put them into words, allowing the parent to understand what words and actions reach the baby and to develop a secure, healthy attachment. The parent who does not set impossible standards for themselves and who is aware of mistakes and ruptures can also be aware of the benefit of repairing a difficult moment or time.

I work with parents who are married, living together, single parents by choice, parents who have adopted children, same-sex parents and divorced parents. I work with prenatal depression and post-partum depression and with mothers, babies and couples. This type of therapy can be both supportive and in depth.