This innovative book explains and introduces the use of mindfulness in therapeutic work with parents and babies, covering issues such as feeding, crying, sleeping and relating, as well as other developmental challenges which affect family life, as practiced in both clinical sessions and in the home.

The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 introduces: (1) what parent-infant psychotherapy is, its origin and evolution; (2) mindfulness, which consists in paying attention in a purposeful way in the present moment and not judgementally; and (3) the development and maturation of the brain and nervous system and how they are affected by the environment in utero and after birth. Part 2 then goes on to explore a range of topics such as parental mental illnesses, immigration, dislocation, loss, guilt, substance misuse, abuse, post-natal depression, congenital malformations and the role of fathers. It describes how these factors impact the parental relationship with, and the healthy development of the infant, drawing from relevant research to demonstrate the effectiveness of parent-infant psychotherapy and mindfulness.

The practice of psychoanalytic psychotherapy aided by mindfulness is a useful intervention for distressed families with infants, while a mindful approach to oneself and one's baby can ease parental anxiety and free-loving capacities. Neurodevelopmental Parent-Infant Psychotherapy and Mindfulness is an essential resource for clinicians and researchers working on parent and infant relations and will also appeal to curious new or future parents.

About the Author

Maria Pozzi Monzo, born in Italy, trained in London at the Tavistock Clinic, BPF/BAP, where she now lectures. She has worked in CAMHS, PIP-UK and is currently at the School of Infant Mental Health. She is also a trainer in parent-infant psychotherapy in Italy and Switzerland. Her many publications include The Buddha and the Baby (2015). She was winner of the Los Angeles, Frances Tustin Memorial Prize in 1999.

Reviews

"Maria Pozzi Monzo's many decades of personal meditation practice are clearly providing inspiration in her work as a parent-infant and child psychotherapist. The integration of these two fields offers a unique and valuable contribution to both disciplines, which is to be celebrated." --Ajahn Brahmavara

"Maria Pozzi Monzo's many decades of personal meditation practice are clearly providing inspiration in her work as a parent-infant and child psychotherapist. The integration of these two fields offers a unique and valuable contribution to both disciplines, which is to be celebrated." - Ajahn Brahmavara

Book Information
ISBN 9780367429065
Author Maria Pozzi Monzo
Format Paperback
Page Count 120
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 196g