ABSTRACT
The infant observation method was first introduced by the Polish psychoanalyst Esther Bick in 1948. It consists of weekly observations of an infant and his or her mother within the home environment from birth to the end of the second year of life. Infant observation is an essential tool in training child and adult psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, as well as other professionals who are involved in human relationships. It studies the emergence of archaic and unconscious body and mind states, of feelings and emotions, and of needs and communication, at their very origins. Observational skills and training are the foundations for working with families and small children. Emotions and affects have important biological components, such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and glandular secretions, which can be observed and exist universally throughout human culture and even in preliterate cultures.
