Observation, re¯ection and containment: a psychoanalytic approach to work with parents and children under ®ve

What does psychoanalysis have to offer in understanding the development of children's early years? It offers a theory of mental development, combining contemporary psychoanalytic theory, infant and young child observation in naturalistic settings, and the expanding ®eld of early clinical interventions. Ongoing research in infant and child development, including discoveries in the ®eld of neuroscience, also contribute to our knowledge base.