Psychoanalytic Infant Observation is an essential feature of pre-clinical training in child and adult psychotherapy. Originally established in 1948 by Esther Bick at the Tavistock Clinic in London, it is now recognized throughout the world as essential to understanding the minds of infants, children and adults. It is therefore highly relevant across the spectrum of the helping professions.
For those working directly with infants and young children it provides a detailed understanding of the complex processes of emotional growth and development. For those working with older children and adolescents, it illuminates the infantile conflicts that can create obstacles to learning and development.
For those working with adults it facilitates understanding of the infantile states of mind that can persist and wreak havoc in adult life. In order to understand troubled minds, the study of ordinary states of mind during the course of ordinary development is an essential pre-requisite.
Infant observation involves visiting an infant in a family for an hour a week, from birth
to second birthday. Observations are recorded in detail and presented for discussion
in a small seminar group supervised by a Tavistock trained Child Psychotherapist.
By taking turns to present observation material, the group follows the early
development of a small number of babies. As study progresses and the seminar
group develops, the relevance of infant observation to work with older children
and adults emerges vividly.
The Oxford Psychoanalytic Observation Studies Course has been running in Oxford for more than 25 years. It is possible to undertake the Infant Observation unit as a stand-alone course for Continuing Professional Development, or to combine it with other units of the course: Child Development, Work Discussion, Young Child Observation, Psychoanalytic Theory, Personality Development.
Completion of all the components of the course is awarded a Postgraduate Diploma or MA by the Tavistock Clinic & University of East London. The course also fulfils pre-clinical training requirements for child psychotherapy training and selected adult psychotherapy training courses. All applicants are invited for interview.
To find out more please contact the Course Tutors:
Andrea Watson, 12 Rectory Road Oxford Tel 01865 243491
Ellie Roberts, 33 Charlbury Road Oxford Tel 01865 514568
Celia Goto, a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist who has studied art
and film informally for more than 20 years offers an exciting and
illuminating course studying Hitchcock and Thriller Movies from
a psychoanalytic perspective.
The course runs on Monday evenings, 7.00 to 9.30
at Rewley House, Dept. of Continuing Education, University of Oxford.
