ABSTRACT
Donald Winnicott, a highly respected pediatrician and psychoanalyst in the field of infant mental health, highlighted that people need to consider the importance of the parent-child relationship in the development of a child. Evidenced-based best practices in the field of Infant Mental Health dictate dyadic therapeutic modalities that involve joint parent-infant sessions. Bowlby concluded that a child's attachment to his caregiver/mother signifies the child's desire to obtain connection and contact with her during a stressful time. Beyond the role of touch in promoting the development of a secure attachment of the infant to their caregiver, many researchers acknowledge the importance of touch in several other domains of the infant's life. Research shows that the caregiver also gains a great deal from the experience. Child Parent Psychotherapy facilitates dyadic family sessions where parents learn to strengthen their relationships with their infants and young children.
