The Underlying structures of interaction as forerunners of mentalization. From infant research to adult treatment
Keywords:
mother-infant relationship, early development, mentalization, clinical material, no verbal language, intersubjetivity, scientific research, psychoanalytic processAbstract
This paper presents the findings of an empirical research about the underlying structures in mother-baby interaction in brief psychotherapeutic treatments. The main findings reflects a unique pattern for each motherbaby dyad and allows the analyst to reinterpret what happens in the clinic, regarding each dyads’ characteristics, their difficulties and their potential for change. What does the knowledge of the existence of these underlying structures of interaction implies for psychoanalysis. The contribution of infant research to the adult clinic will be exemplified through two clinical vignettes.
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