‘I don’t want to die, I want to feel better’: finding hope through psychoanalytic parent-infant psychotherapy

ABSTRACT

This paper follows the journey of a young black woman as she enters motherhood during treatment in psychoanalytic parent-infant psychotherapy with a black female therapist. The impact of the mother’s early trauma on the developing parent-infant relationship is explored through the theme of being seen. Transference and countertransference phenomena are examined. There is a particular focus on the mother’s race, sexuality and gender and their impact on her growing son. Winnicott’s attention to the use of black in the consulting room is drawn upon, to open up a discussion about some of the clinical implications regarding sameness in therapist and patient, both being black and female. Finally, the practice of video-recording sessions and what this elicits in the countertransference is also explored, providing another perspective to the theme of being seen.

KEYWORDS:

• Psychoanalytic parent-infant psychotherapy
• perinatal mental health
• infant mental health
• relational trauma
• black therapist
• video-recording sessions
• Winnicott

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Bianca for giving me permission to write about this experience. With special thanks to Angela Joyce for helping me in the earlier stages to formulate the ideas I had in writing about this case.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Coretta Ogbuagu

Coretta Ogbuagu is a child and adolescent psychotherapist and specialist parent-infant psychotherapist working in a London based NHS CAMHS. She qualified at IPCAPA and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.