Traces of the Infantile in Psychoanalytic Therapy with Adults

This book applies parent-infant-therapy techniques to allow therapists to work effectively with adult patients on their earliest traumas.

There is an increased awareness among therapists, parents, and stakeholders that attempts to address psychological challenges in the first year of life could diminish the risk of later non-optimal development. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of such challenges and distress in parent-infant dyads can influence therapeutic work with adult patients by helping them discern ＂the traces of the Infantile＂ within. Drawing on his extensive clinical experience and application of the parent-infant psychotherapy (PIP) technique, Salomonsson offers a clear guide to how therapists can tie together experiences from adulthood and childhood, memory and family myth, and verbal and non-verbal communication from the patient to tease out the origin of the adult patient’s trauma and to allow for more informed and targeted treatment. The author argues that moving between PIP and adult therapeutic work is compatible with psychoanalytic theory and emphasises the importance of its inclusion in therapy training, Enriched with clinical vignettes and a focus on practical work, this is an essential read for all psychoanalysts and psychotherapists.

Björn Salomonsson is a psychiatrist and member of the Swedish Psychoanalytical Association, working in private practice. He is an Associate Professor at the Karolinska Institute and his research focuses on parent-infant therapies, child and adult analysis, and the ’weaving thoughts’ presentation method. This is his fourth book published in English. In 2024, he received the Sigourney award for his contributions in psychoanalytic parent-infant psychotherapy.