The Official College of Psychology of Catalonia hosts, on October 24, the presentation of the new publication «Teràpia psicoanalítica amb bebès i pares. Pràctica, teoria i resultats», by Björn Solomonsson.
Lluís Isern, from the Catalan Congress Foundation for Mental Health and Guillermo Mattioli, president of the Section of Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, and Psychotherapy of the COPC, will open the event, which will conclude with a discussion with attendees. Admission is free.
Summary of Psychoanalytic Therapy with Infants and Parents. Practice, Theory, and Results, by Björn Salomonsson
The book describes the psychoanalytic work of Björn Salomonsson, which starts from the thesis that babies have things in their minds, representations in the form of mental images that combine an idea with an emotion. For this reason, we must address the infant, who, although not understanding us literally, grasps communication beyond verbal levels. The goal of this type of communication is to contain their anxieties and the parents' concerns, which stem from feelings of uselessness, guilt, and anger. The therapy, which he calls MPI, aims to reduce the effects on the infant caused by poor communication.
Salomonsson responds to potential criticisms of his initial thesis with recent research on development and psychoanalytic theory. In his model, the infant is considered the “central patient,” and therefore, the therapist speaks directly to the baby and, when appropriate, works with him in transference.
The book, among other things, answers key questions such as: what happens in a baby's mind? Do they have psychic representations from a very young age? What can a baby understand from our messages? Does MPI work?
This is an essential reading book for early intervention professionals, psychoanalysts, and therapists working with children, adolescents, and adults, as it clearly illustrates the primitive roots of psychic functioning.
This monograph has been translated by Esperança Castell, Josep O. Esteve, Elena Fieschi, Antònia Grimalt, Anna Romagosa, Jordi Sala, and Mabel Silva.
The author
Björn Salomonsson is a child psychoanalyst with the Swedish Psychoanalytic Association in Stockholm. He works in private practice and at the Mamma Mia Child Health Centre, where he also serves as a consulting psychoanalyst. He is a research fellow in the Research Unit for Reproductive Health, Department of Women's and Children's Health at Karolinska Institutet.
