Why parent infant psychotherapy?
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Parent infant psychotherapy is an emotion based intervention for parents/families with children from conception to age five.
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Parent infant psychotherapy can help identify, explore, and understand a range of issues including:
anxiety
attachment difficulties
postnatal depression
feeding / weaning difficulties
sleep difficulties
the impact of traumatic birth
experiences in NICU/SCBU
experiences of having a premature baby
separation difficulties
grief
sibling relationships
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How I work with babies, young children and parents
When working with babies and young children I see them together with their parents. I support parents to recognise and understand both their own and their baby's feelings; and to strengthen their relationship with their child. Parent infant psychotherapy helps by being a place in which parents are able to talk, observe and play.
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Parents are invited to talk about the hopes and fears that they have, to untangle their expectations from the reality. Parents can take time to focus on their child and to learn more about how their baby tries to communicate feelings, and how best to respond to help their child feel understood. By playing together parents and babies find new ways to develop emotionally attuned, empathic relationships and strengthen the bonds of attachment between them.
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Parents invited to consider the ways in which becoming/being a parent may differ in reality from their hopes or expectations, and how pregnancy, labour, or parenthood has impacted upon them. They are also encouraged to consider how their own experiences of being parented will inevitably affect their way of being a parent.
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Working with babies, toddlers and young children involves play. Play is a child's natural medium of self expression. It is how they explore and come to understand the world. Parents are asked to play with their child(ren) and we observe and respond to the emotions and the themes that emerge.
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Both parents are invited to be involved in the work, though it is not a prerequisite. Single parent families are equally welcome. Siblings may also be included. Each individual family's make up, culture and beliefs are respected.​
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Further Information
Face to Face appointments are available in central Cambridge. I work every Tuesday at 8AKP on King's Parade.
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Online appointments remain possible for families who prefer to work that way or who cannot travel to central Cambridge. These will take place via a digital platform usually zoom or teams. I will send a link to be followed at the agreed time, and I will be there to greet you.
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I usually see families for an initial appointment which can last up to 1 1/2 hours to gather an understanding of concerns and a history. From then we will agree either an ongoing assessment of up to three sessions, or a plan or work. All work is regularly reviewed.
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Length of Sessions
Sessions are 50 minutes and it is preferable to arrange them at a regular time/day weekly. As work progresses the frequency of sessions may be reduced if appropriate. I usually work term time only though additional support over holiday periods can be agreed.
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Fees and Payment
£80 for an initial meeting
£80 for a 50 minute session or meeting
I strongly believe that therapy should be available to everyone regardless of income and am happy to arrange reduced fee sessions when possible. Please feel welcome to ask me about this.​
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Cancellations and Missed Sessions
Regularity and continuity are important for successful therapy. If a session is cancelled with less than 48 hours notice, then 50% of the fee will be charged. 100% of the fee is payable for cancellations with less than 24 hours notice or missed sessions. Please notify me of cancellations by e-mail as soon as possible. Please note that whilst this is my policy I will show discretion whenever possible.
Ending
The length of therapy varies due to the nature of the issues and circumstances affecting the family. It can vary from six sessions to around six months. Less commonly sessions can continue for over a year.
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Confidentiality
I work in adherence to the UKCP’s code of ethics and professional conduct which includes the need for confidentiality of the sessions. Should issues of safeguarding arise, or urgent concerns about parental mental health, I have a duty to step beyond confidentiality, but will endeavour to discuss concerns with the parents prior to taking any further more formal steps as long as this is appropriate.
As a requirement of professional practice, I undertake regular supervision where issues from our sessions may be discussed but such material is always disguised to protect identity.
Liaison with other professionals
My usual practice is to inform a family’s GP when parent infant psychotherapy commences, and again when it closes. With parental permission I will liaise with other professionals as necessary and helpful, for example health visitors, nursery staff. In such liaison I will share information, on a need to know basis, with the parent’s prior knowledge and consent.
Complaints
I would hope that any concerns or disagreements that you may have could be discussed with me and hopefully put right. However, it is important that I let you know that my professional body the UKCP offers two different ways in which you could lodge a formal complaint. These are:
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to use UKCP’s formal Complaints and Conduct Process
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to explore other avenues of resolution through our Alternative Dispute Resolution process.
More information is available online at https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/registers-standards/complaints/make-a-complaint/