Mother-Baby-Toddler Group Guide: A Psychodynamic Approach

By: Ilene S. Lefcourt

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Synopsis: This book is a comprehensive guide for leading mother-baby-toddler groups, a text for teaching child development, and a handbook for early intervention. The guidelines provide a detailed psychodynamic approach to resolve typical developmental and mothering difficulties that arise during the first three years of life. As mothers' thoughts about their babies and toddlers ricochet between the past, the present, and the future, mothers' childhood memories are activated and out of awareness influence mother-child interactions. Specific interventions that generate mothers' self-reflection and insight are delineated. Group questions are organized by age and psychodynamic theme. Compelling vignettes illustrate synergies between the supportive and educational group-process, and the psychodynamic interventions with each mother-child dyad. Difficulties are resolved before they escalate into disorders. This is the first psychodynamic group guide to extend the infant mental health focus on treatment, to include prevention.　 Experienced clinicians, students, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and others interested in infant mental health and mothers’ well-being will find the specific guidelines practical, informative, and illuminating.