Parents in the observer-position: a psychoanalytically informed use of video in the context of a brief parent-child intervention

The paper investigates the possibility of integrating psychoanalytic observation with video-feedback technique in the framework of a brief parent-child intervention, using case illustrations from work with two different boys and their parents. The intervention also includes the clinical use of the Adult Attachment Interview. The paper suggests that the experience of being observed, being listened to, and of watching the video helps some parents to take on the observer-position providing a new perspective on the relationship which in turn enhances their capacity for reflective functioning.