ABSTRACT
The parent-infant interaction is the centerpiece of the clinical situation. It is the key element to be understood, for several reasons. Parent-infant therapies construct a first reading of the clinical story on the basis of the nonverbal actions and interactions that make up the microevents. The mother may of course vocalize—sing and say a great deal of sense and nonsense—but there need be no important verbal content in what is happening from either partner. The patterns of attachment established by parent and infant are proving to be one of the best predictors of the quality of the parent-infant relationship. The clinical observation of the interaction is therefore somewhat different from most clinical endeavors. Some therapies make minimal use of the actual parent-infant interaction as clinical material. The parent-infant interaction acts as a bridge between the other elements and is the major arena in which the symptoms and problems that motivate the consultation are formed.
