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The Graduate Society is open to all graduates of the child and adolescent therapy training programs. All first year NYIPT graduates are invited to join without paying dues.

Here is a synopsis of some of our activities:

On February 4, 2007 our director, Dr. Phyllis Cohen, gave a seminar for the Graduate Society. The presentation was entitled “The Use of Videotape-Feedback in Mother-Infant Psychotherapy,” held at the Montauk Club in Park Slope. Phyllis has worked with Dr. Beatrice Beebe over the years, applying infant research to clinical practice with infants. She explained how the mother and infant are filmed in a video lab at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, and then how the therapist works with the mother, giving feedback while watching the tape, looking at the smallest details of the verbal and non-verbal interactions of the mother with her baby.

From Dr. Beebe’s research it has been observed that many mothers overwhelm their babies with too much stimulation. Many mothers feel rejected when their babies look away, when the babies are actually turning away to regulate their heart rate! This can trigger a negative spiral if the mother shows her disappointment and the baby sees that in her face, and then the baby feels disappointed, each triggering the other.

Phyllis showed a videotape of her and Beatrice Beebe working with a mother and her infant. Beatrice also interacted with the preverbal infant by using facial expressions and mirroring, following his lead, and matching his vocal rhythms. In the case presented, the baby showed his profound sadness at one point by remaining silent for several minutes, something highly unusual for a child of his age. In the beginning of the therapy the child's developmental progress had been delayed, and the work with the mother and baby by Drs. Cohen and Beebe helped get him back on track.

An audience of 20 people enjoyed this talk, asked lots of follow-up questions, and expressed a great deal of excitement about this type of work.

In April of 2008, our Graduate Society lecture featured one of the NYIPT faculty, Dr. Jacqueline Simon, on the subject of “Shame, Guilt and Empathy.” Dr. Simon’s presentation was excellent, even riveting at times as she defined the differences between these three affects and explained how derailments in a child’s relationships with key people can influence the development of pathological shame. Dr. Simon wrote her doctoral dissertation on this subject and has a great expertise and knowledge of relevant studies pertinent to those who work with children.

All the feedback I received about the presentation was positive and we hope to invite her back someday.

The Graduate Society has also been running an ongoing peer supervision group, for the past two years with participants involved in case presentations and discussing selected readings. We are open to any and all suggestions to better serve our child therapy community, including starting another peer group. If you want to receive email notice of our future events, or would like to join our planning committee, please send your email address to Geri Ness.