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This is an exciting, thought-provoking and ground-breaking book which takes a fresh look at aspects of Infant Observation. It is new in that it concentrates on the new-born in the family, looking at the dynamics that arise there, particularly the pressures of the older sibling, and how these may affect the personality development of the new baby. It is also new in that the book is the product of a seminar group that was unable to meet physically but worked by using a pioneering form of video-link, with discussions supplemented by the ‘affective learning model’ - an approach which looks at the dynamics of the group to support and enhance insight in the work.
The book is written in three sections: first, case-study papers written by the members of this remarkable seminar group on aspects of their own observations; then a section on the applications of infant observation in various institutional settings, describing the way infant observation can enhance skills in adult psychotherapeutic work. The last section describes the video-link technology used, and its impact on both the work and on the students themselves through the particular approach of the affective learning model. The students were based on two sites in different states of the USA and were led from the Tavistock Clinic in London by Jeanne Magagna, an experienced and thoughtful clinician, writer and seminar leader in the field who herself had studied for three years with Esther Bick. Jeanne Magagna co-edits the book with the seminar members and also contributes a fascinating paper on the teaching of infant observation as well as co-writing two case studies. That such work should emanate from three sites thousands of miles apart is a tribute to the participants' stamina and sensitivity in what one imagines must have been fairly daunting circumstances.