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Fostering Psychic Transformation Through the Discipline of Infant Observation: The Eyes—and Mind’s Eyes—Have It

In 1948, British psychoanalyst Esther Bick introduced infant observation to the Tavistock course for the training of child psychotherapists. The Institute of Psychoanalysis in London added it to its curriculum in 1960. Since that time, interest in this practice has shown striking growth throughout the world, including in Washington, DC, where Dr. Nydia Lisman-Pieczanski was the first to bring this practice to the Washington School of Psychiatry. Briefly, the Tavistock model of infant observation requires each student to visit a baby and its mother/family in their home for one hour each week for two years. Ideally, these hourly visits should be at the same time of day each week. The observer is instructed not to take notes during the observation but instead to record afterward, in as much detail as possible, what can be recalled of the events that took place. The emphasis is on curiosity and on what is seen and felt during the observation rather than preconceived ideas. In bearing witness to the intimacy of complexities of the evolving relationship between a baby and its caregivers, observation promotes a deep appreciation for both manifest and latent processes that underlie a child’s development. The role of the weekly infant observation seminar is to assist the observer in this difficult endeavor. The seminar leaders attempt to create a setting that allows space for appreciation of the written observation and to support the free associations, ruminations, and speculations of the observer and other seminar members. This method is exceptionally effective training for clinicians working with patients across the life span, as well as professionals working with people in a wide variety of settings. Part of the power of this up-close learning method includes the transformations that take place within and between all involved participants. The conference discussed here focused on unpacking the process: how and in what way infant observation facilitates change and profoundly deepens awareness. This brief report offers a summary of the presentations on the Washington School of Psychiatry’s Infant and Young Child Observation Program at its 2016 conference. This conference not only included those sitting in the room together but— through the magic of technology—a group of Chinese students and faculty in China