March 20, 2009

'Primitive Forms of Communication'

- An exploration of non-verbal communication between mothers and babies and its application and relevance to the therapeutic relationship

Outline:

In their everyday work with patients, psychodynamic therapists - quite rightly - connect with and seek to understand their clients primarily through the use of interpretations - that is, by way of verbal communication. However, implicit in every verbal communication there are non verbal components which can be masked or go unnoticed by our cultural over dependence on language to communicate with each other. Babies don't have words or cultural experience to draw on; yet to survive, they have to be able to communicate their needs with urgency and immediacy. In looking at how babies use non verbal communication to express their needs - and how mothers learn to 'read' and respond to their baby's 'language', I will be drawing parallels between the therapeutic and nurturing processes and looking at ways in which, we as therapists, can increase our sensitivity and awareness of non verbal modes of communication.
 

Francis Dale is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist in private practice. He was the Director and Organiser of the One Year Foundation Course and Four Year Training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy certified by Exeter University and has an ongoing involvement in working with families where there are attachment issues between parents or carers and children.