Child analysis in a changing world. In the face of a paradigm shift from the mind to the brain: Can we meet the challenge?

Abstract

Child analysts and child therapists are now practicing in a new environment where an increased emphasis is made on identifying the symptoms and finding the shortest possible way to get rid of them, from the knowledge of brain functioning. From that perspective, the history of the symptom, of the child who owns it, and of the family in which this child is being raised are not emphasized as strongly. Searching for a specific meaning of such symptoms seems to be of no more interest. How can such a heavy trend be met? Major changes also have occurred within the psychoanalytic milieu. Advances from the observational world, from Spitz (1945) to Bowlby's (1987) attachment theory, provide essential knowledge to the field of early child-parent interactions. Longitudinal research in recent decades has shown close ties between early development and future outcomes. Such new knowledge is inspiring child analysis with very young children as well as with severely disturbed, older children. Early intervention with disadvantaged populations is showing the importance of the nonspecific aspects of the therapeutic relationship as a factor of change. In light of recent neurobiologic research on the influence of a specific environment-attachment experiences-on early development of the brain, it is now possible to speak of the social brain (Cozolino, 2006).