by Ann Marie Sacramone (USA)
Co-Chair IARPP Child and Adolescent Interest Group
In order to promote dialogue regarding research, development, theory, and clinical applications within our interest group and with the members of IARPP, the Child and Adolescent Interest Group plans to offer a web seminar.
The IARPP Child and Adolescent Interest Group emphasizes the development of children within their systemic attachment context. We see continuity in relational patterns from childhood to adulthood and prevention of intergenerational transmission of trauma as benefiting from the joint participation and consideration of both child and adult relational psychoanalysts and psychotherapists.
An organizing group of our members, Esther Bamberger and Roy Aldor of Israel, Gerard Webster from Austrailia, Marco Bernabei of Italy, Sebastian Leon from Chile, as well as Jaquline Gotthold, Laurel Silber, Grete Laine, and myself from the United States have organized the topic for the next Child and Adolescent Interest Group web seminar. Doris Brothers participated as adult analyst with a particular interest in the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Robin Grace joined us as well, based on her innovative work in an underserved community.
Our working web seminar title is “Intergenerational Attachment Patterns and the Responses of Child Therapists in the Presence of Societal Trauma”. The web seminar will be designed to elaborate a link between intergenerational attachment patterns in the presence of societal trauma and responsive action by child therapists in the therapeutic dyad and the wider social context. The questions we hope to explore are the following;
What is the effect of war and other societal traumas on intergenerational attachment patterns? On the child therapist and therapy? When is a clinical response also an activist response? Do we need to go beyond our offices? Why and how? What happens when we do or don’t?
Relational child therapists focus on the concentric fields and systems of interaction in which the child’s development is contingent: family, neighborhood, school, and culture. We hope that this seminar helps us to deepen, enrich, and elaborate our roles within each of these systems. Beyond working within the immediate relational context of the children and their attachment figures, relational child therapists advocate on behalf of the child and consult to schools and other institutions. We wonder if the idea of activism is included in our current ideas of therapeutic process and advocacy or if we will articulate a broader role.
We are waiting for a date to offer this seminar so that we can invite faculty. Stay tuned!
Ann Marie Sacramone: annmariesacramone@gmail.com
Some of the text of this article was adapted from the foundation statement of the IARPP Child and Adolescent Interest Group written by Daniel Gensler, Laurel Silber, Esther Bamberger, Jackie Gotthold and Neil Altman.
