ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the active contribution that even young infants make to the therapeutic encounter and their therapeutic alliance. It takes for granted their expectable endowment of their capacity to communicate from birth, including triadic intersubjective communication, and their resilience. The chapter highlights some emotions beginning with a sense of immediacy, with both positive and negative emotions, and potential for playfulness and humour. A therapist aware of her own bodily countertransference to infant sexuality contributes a more nuanced view of the parents' and infant's experience and development. A therapist needs to be able to reflect on the issue of sexuality in a way that is helpful to that infant and parent. Being more aware in countertransference of interplay of infant sexual excitement and parental sexuality could extend therapist's understanding, initiating intervention in ways that might be experienced as more empathically in touch with the whole person of infant and his parents.
