Intimate Transformations

This enriching book describes the value of learning about the development of the human personality through the experience of observing a baby in the context of the family. It is distinctive in the field of infant observation literature, for it shows how the affective learning augments the learning experience. It also highlights a somewhat neglected area of observational study; the relationshio between siblings and its influence on the development of the self-esteem of the younger child.The book comprises three sections: observing babies in their families; application of infant observation studies to work with intensive care units for premature babies and to psychotherapy with adult patients; and the teaching of infant observation using the affective learning model approach. The book is written in a style suitable for both parents and a wide variety of professionals, including paediatricians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and teachers.It is a crucial book for those parents and clinicians who wish to think more about the baby's preverbal emotional life.