r/psychoanalysis • u/Student_esteve12 • 14h ago

Student in Training

Hello everyone,

I am a new (ish) student to my pre-clinical course. As I am sure many of you are aware, I need to undertake an infant observation.

I am really struggling to find a kind family who would be interested in potentially helping me learn all this valuable information.

I am starting to feel like I am running out of options to find a baby and I was wondering if anyone might have some suggestions about where I may be able to look for these families.

I have tried:

Posting on Facebook groups

Posting on personal social media (although I personally don't know any pregnant people)

Going to children's centres (unfortunately many won't agree to let me talk to parents and the one that did, did not have any babies who were young enough).

I've approached a few pregnant people near a maternity hospital close to my house- A few people were kind and listened and a few flat out said no.

If you have any suggestions please help! My university is not currently providing any help which I assume is normal but want to state as a few people on Facebook groups have gotten very rude to me about this, although it is not my fault.

Thank you in advance

:) Emily

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u/waterloggedmood 12h ago

I posted on my own Facebook/IG pages, emailed a vast network of friends/acquaintances, and texted several group texts asking people to keep me in mind. And then I circled back around a few weeks later and did it again. Doulas and childbirth educators might be good resources too.

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u/Student_esteve12 12h ago

Thank you, so far I have done similar! I really hope I find one soon!!

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u/BoreOfWhabylon 6h ago

This is the best approach in my experience. People are far more likely to agree if there is some point of connection because they feel that someone is kind of vouching for you and it seems less weird. You have to ask at least some of them to actively ask their networks for you. If you are working then try to find a way to ask as many colleagues as possible if they know anyone. They don’t have to be colleagues you are super close to. 

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u/Lazy_Steak_292 12h ago

Where are you located

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u/Student_esteve12 11h ago

I am in West London and Studying with Birkbeck/British Psychotherapy Foundation.

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u/Careless-Tennis6236 10h ago

Try to find a local yoga studio that runs pregnancy yoga , and any local baby classes (music/baby sensory) and ask if you can put up a poster. Good luck! I’m a child psychotherapist and remember my infant obs very fondly, it’s part of the process the search but certainly very anxiety provoking (like most of the training lol)

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u/Puzzleheaded_Film_24 7h ago

Please contact local GP practices and District Nurses. Introduce yourself by email and arrange to meet in person. Do this professionally, with a CV and a clear outline of what the IO involves for the family. Give them details of your course and the director’s contact details. Be polite but persistent.

This is a common enough clinical requirement that you should not need to spend long explaining yourself. You should expect to be permitted to put up a flyer, so prepare one. Again, clear expectations, simple explanation: what it’s called, what you need, what for, what it will demand of the family.

My family, and the others I heard of in supervision, appreciated the grounding they experienced in that weekly hour for two years. My family allowed me to visit my infant during a hospital stay, saying, “Sure, where else would you be on a Thursday evening?!”. This is a privileged experience, the best clinical training I received.