Maternal Death Wishes: From Baby Murder To Psychological Infanticide
Date: October 2nd 2021
Time: 10.30am-12pm
Cost: £35
Although Sigmund Freud wrote extensively about death wishes in the family, he devoted far more attention to the child’s desire to kill the parent of the same sex and, also, any unwanted siblings, rather than to the parent’s desire to murder the child. Donald Winnicott elaborated upon the concept of parental death wishes, especially in his classic essay, “Hate in the Counter-Transference”, albeit rather briskly. Building upon these foundational contributions, Professor Brett Kahr will draw upon his work with psychotic and forensic patients and, also, with normal-neurotic individuals, to explore the many ways in which maternal and paternal death wishes and death threats towards babies and children become internalised over time and, ultimately, contribute to the development of severe psychopathology.
Kahr will explore the concept of the “infanticidal attachment”, examining how early death threats can damage the very foundations of the ego structure, resulting in psychosis, suicidality, criminality, severe eating problems, life-threatening addictions, and a host of other extreme psychological states. Utilising extensive case material, he will consider how intensive, long-term psychoanalytically orientated treatment can contribute to the neutralisation of such toxic “infanticidal introjects”.
Professor Brett Kahr has worked in the mental health profession for over forty years. He is Senior Fellow at the Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology in London and, also, Visiting Professor of Psychoanalysis and Mental Health at Regent’s University London. He is also Consultant in Psychology to The Bowlby Centre and, additionally, Consultant Psychotherapist at The Balint Consultancy, and works in independent psychoanalytical practice with individuals and couples in Central London.
For more information please visit www.infantmentalhealth.com/weekend-webinars
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The Parent Infant Centre
The Parent Infant Centre is located in North London and is a place for parents to turn to when they are worried about their infant, child or adolescent.
The Centre includes:
The Parent Infant Clinic, which provides a full range of child psychotherapy, parent infant psychotherapy and related therapies, such as music therapy and paediatric physiotherapy.
The School of Infant Mental Health, which delivers professional training in Parent Infant Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and a range of courses in topics related to infant mental health. Many of the School's courses are also available online.
For more information please visit www.infantmentalhealth.com, email [log in para visualizar] or call us on +44 20 7433 3112