ABSTRACT
Underlying the philosophy of the Tavistock clinic is a belief in the usefulness of psychoanalytic concepts outside individual psychotherapy. The course is based on a number of Tavistock courses but has been specifically adapted for those working in social services departments. For the first two terms, there is a lecture followed by a work discussion seminar. In the third term, these components are replaced by an infant and young child observation seminar. The value of having a seminar group is that it gives multiple perspectives on the material. The discussion around Terry, for example, involved all members of the seminar group. Their various identifications with both presenter and presented child led to a rich and free exploration of the possible meaning of what was being described, and their varied emotional reactions to it. The seminar also provides a way of understanding how children and young people are feeling and behaving, and how this may be linked to their early experiences.
