ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at both formal and informal ways of gathering information about the parent. It explains the process of getting to know about the child and parent, and most particularly the parent's parents. The importance of learning about the life of an individual child is emphasized more and more in our training as professionals working with children and families. The personal therapy was required as second part of training within the early tradition of psychoanalytic psychotherapy and continues to be recommended for both counselors and therapists. The chance to get to know the parents and to begin a relationship with them is at the initial appointment, which is scheduled for gathering information on the pregnancy/birth of the child. Another way to identify familial patterns of reacting is to create a genogram with the parent or with the parent and child. Genograms are particularly valuable for tracing behavioural patterns including varied forms of abuse.
