Observation of babies

About Esther Bick’s observation method

Infant observation, according to Esther Bick’s method, is a training project for psychologists and psychotherapists who work or plan to work with children and/or adults. In some countries, it is an integral part of psychoanalytic education.

The method was developed in the late 1940s by Esther Bick in collaboration with J. Bowlby for the training of child psychotherapists and later for psychoanalytic training in general.

This method allows to observe a child’s development from birth to 2 years at home. This creates a unique opportunity to observe the development of the psyche from the very beginning and to witness the early close relationship between the infant and the mother.
According to the latest research in neuroscience and attachment theory, the relationship between an infant and a significant adult has a significant impact on the development of the psyche. The main thing is the unique opportunity to observe the formation of the child’s inner world in relation to the mother from the very beginning in a natural environment, while being both inside and outside of this relationship. This creates an opportunity for the formation of an observing ego in the psychotherapist: the ability to hold tension, reflect, mentalize, and contain strong feelings; and a deep understanding of projective identification as an early form of communication.
Through observation, specific learning conditions are created.

Esther Bick developed an original approach based on the analytical tradition, which has two components:
1. Practical observation of infants in natural conditions.
2. Analysis of the observation protocol in a small group led by the observation group leader.

The observer visits the infant’s home and family once a week, on the same day and at the same time, for 2 years. For one hour, they observe the child, their relationship with their mother, and their own emotional reactions. After each visit to the family, they write a detailed observation protocol, which is discussed by the group participants at weekly seminars. During the seminar, the observation reports are discussed, and the development of a particular child is studied in relation to other children in the group, which allows us to observe standard features and means of nonverbal communication between the child and their parents, as well as the emergence of mental processes (pre-thinking).

Esther Bick placed particular emphasis on the most minor details of the interaction between mother and infant, which is mostly nonverbal, and the emotional response that the observer tracks in themselves while observing the mother and infant. The observer uses their ability to understand their feelings to contain the family’s anxiety in the observation situation, and the group helps to contain the observer’s anxiety. Esther Bick’s method of observing infants helps to gain a deeper understanding of our clients’ infantile experiences — that is, their child part: the child’s behavior and games. It will also help future child psychotherapists conduct initial interviews with parents and understand their view of the child’s history.

The history of the creation of the PAChAP project on Infant Observation in Ukraine

In 2010, Oksana Zaleska initiated a project to observe infants. A supervisor, Raisa Dairova, was invited, who at that time already had IPA analyst status and was recommended to lead observation groups. Alex Dubinsky, from the Tavistock Clinic in London, who had previously collaborated with Esther Bick, became the project’s external supervisor. The group was very fortunate. There were six specialists in the group, five of whom completed the project. The project lasted four years. Olga Kasyanenko was the first to complete the project after two years, as she was the first to have a baby. The observation continues until the child reaches age 2. Babies were gradually “born” into the group. In the end, the group continued until all the babies reached the age of two. The group worked in full force, and those who completed the observation participated in supervision and observed the observation process of other colleagues. This allowed them to acquire supervision skills, and Olga Kasyanenko was the first to start conducting observation groups based on Esther Bick’s classic model. Later, Olena Pozdeeva began conducting groups. Oksana Zaleska, Inna Kirilyuk, and Tetiana Plashchenyuk are also certified.
Observation using Esther Bick’s method did not involve studying theory. But from time to time, we met to discuss various articles that were just beginning to appear in the Ukrainian analytical field.
The first article we reviewed was Esther Bick’s “Notes on Observing Infants as Part of Psychoanalytic Training.” During the project, a seminar and conference were held at which clinical observation work was presented, along with reports by invited observation specialists, R. A. Daira and B. Feldman (USA). Over these 10 years, we have gained some experience. We are glad that the groups are continuing. Some groups encountered observation during the COVID pandemic, and the penultimate group was affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now we face new challenges. Is it appropriate to observe infants during wartime? Is it timely now? But life goes on, and our professional development is continuous. Therefore, the selection process for the observation group continues.

Information about selection for the observation group

Group leader:
Olga Kasyanenko — Jungian analyst, training analyst and supervisor at the Ukrainian Jungian Association (UJA), UAAP, USP, member of PAChAP (Professional Association of Children`s Analytical Psychologists), group analyst (IAG diploma), supervisor of observation groups, recommended for leading infant observation groups.

The group consists of 4–5 participants, and group meetings are held weekly on Mondays from 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. in person at the following address: Kyiv, 8 Mashynobudivna St., office 1.

A prerequisite for participation is undergoing analytically-oriented individual psychotherapy and passing an initial interview.
To schedule an interview, please call: +38 050 624 33 07 (Viber, Telegram)
Email address: olgakasianenko71@gmail.com
After completing the entire observation course, the student writes a final paper reflecting on the observation process itself and how they understand it. After defending their paper, students receive an international certificate of completion of the infant observation course.