Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Necessity, Rewards, and Challenges of Parent Work
Fraiberg’s seminal paper (Fraiberg et al, 1975) underscored for clinicians and researchers that, for all of us, history exists in the present and that particularly for parents, the ghosts of their past may not only haunt them, but their children as well. This premise holds sway in every psychoanalytic orientation, in trauma theory, attachment theory, and in developmental psychology. But while the literature that focuses on the treatment of infants, toddlers, and children has often attended to the technical and practical aspects of work with parents (e.g., mother-infant attunement) and, to some extent, addressed the more poignant and evocative experiential aspects of that work, the literature specific to the treatment of older children and adolescents has done so far less. This is noteworthy and perhaps unfortunate given that this facet of child psychotherapy is of great significance, presents great possibilities and yet great complexity concerning parental subjectivity, format, confidentiality, boundaries, transference, countertransference and so on.
We encourage writers to be creative in discussing the layers of complexities such as but not limited to: How are child psychotherapists shifting between and within the subjectivities of the parent and child? What are some examples of how we are adjusting our psychodynamic approach to incorporate our advances in understanding relational development? How has the expansion in theory raised new ideas/directions in work with the parents of children and adolescents? The changing concept of the patient- is it the child, the parent, the relationship, and/or context? What does this evoke in the role of a child and adolescent psychotherapist? In this potentially more complex clinical stance, what problems, new insights occur? How does the reflective and empathic stance of finely-attuned moment-to-moment processes during parent work foster the ability for mentalization in the parent and thus the child/adolescent?
We invite applicants to submit a manuscript of not more than 30 pages, in APA format, that considers the challenges, rewards and complexities of working with parents as part of child and adolescent psychotherapy. Theoretical, clinical and research perspectives are all welcome.
Who may apply: Anyone who currently works or is in graduate training in the area of child and adolescent mental health is eligible to apply. In addition, the manuscript must represent their first publication in a peer reviewed journal. We especially encourage submissions from historically underrepresented groups, graduate students, candidates, and early career professionals.
This award will be granted to an individual whose writing is deemed exemplary by a committee of judges. The award includes a cash prize of $500 and pending independent editorial and peer review process, a consideration of publication with Journal of Infant, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy (JICAP), overseen by founding Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Kirkland Vaughans.
Submissions are due by 11:59pm PST on January 15, 2024.
For further details and submission apply below: