Infant Development

Brazelton Centre

Newborn Behavioural Observations Systems Training (NBAS)
22 & 23 September 2010 Newcastle

The Newborn Behavioural Observations system (NBO)
12 & 13 July 2010 Middlesbrough (tbc)
12 & 13 October 2010 Cambridge

The Brazelton Centre is a charity whose primary goals are to promote an understanding of infant development through fostering strong infant-parent relationships by focusing attention on the infant’s behavioural abilities, and the important role their babies play in cementing healthy infant-parent relationships.

They run training programmes on the NBAS scale and the NBO tool.

The NBAS scale is used for infant assessment and research, and as an intervention with parents. It provides detailed information about the individual infant’s self-regulatory abilities and how the infant manages crying, sleep, alert states, and feeding.

The NBO is a relationship-building tool between practitioner and parent, that supports the developing parent-infant relationship, and provides an introduction to their infant’s behaviour.

Both the NBAS and NBO have proved to be valuable ways of sensitising both parents and practitioners to the extraordinary behavioural capabilities of the infant. They show the individuality of the newborn and the infant's powerful impact on the establishment of the infant-parent relationship.

Those who have completed the NBAS training can take the NBO training for a reduced fee.

Introduction to the Practice of Psychoanalytic Parent-Infant Psychotherapy

The Anna Freud Centre runs an Introduction to the Practice of Psychoanalytic Parent-Infant Psychotherapy. The aim of this course is to extend the understanding and skills particular to therapeutically-based, early intervention with attachment disorders. The training is based on the therapeutic model developed by the Anna Freud Centre Parent Infant Project. Each training day will include seminars and technique-based discussions, anchored in clinical video material. The following topics will be addressed: Theory and principles of psychoanalytic parent-infant psychotherapy; Engaging the family in parent-infant psychotherapy; Baby, parent/s and therapist – the therapeutic encounter; The process of ending in parent-infant psychotherapy; Working with ‘hard to reach’ high risk populations; Therapeutic mother baby groups. The seminars and discussions will be led by therapists in the Parent-Infant Project, and at the end of the course participants will be issued with an Anna Freud Centre certificate of participation. For further details please call Sara Mitchell on 020 7794 6506 or email.

Multi-Disciplinary Module in Parent-Infant Mental Health at the Anna Freud Centre

The Anna Freud Centre runs a Multi-Disciplinary Module in Parent-Infant Mental Health for professionals working with infants and their families who are looking to extend their expertise in the field of infant mental health and early attachment relationships. Candidates are required to have a professional qualification and to be currently working with parents and infants. The course runs for 10 weeks and is accredited for CPD purposes by the CPHVA (health visitors) and by the GLPQ (social workers, Post Qualifying Award level), costs are around £950. For further information email Sara Mitchell.

Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust Postgraduate Diploma/MA in Early Years Development and Infant Mental Health

This course aims to enhance participants’ observational skills and understanding of infant’s and young children’s emotional development based on a psychodynamic framework. To be eligable for the course you should be working in a professional context with infants and pre-school age children and their families, enabling you to bring appropriate case material to seminars and work discussion groups. It is open to non-graduates with professional qualifications and experience in related fields. The programme runs over two to three years, a combination of day and evening seminars is possible. The training is available in London and Bristol. For more information and to apply click on the link above.