Use of videofeedback in parent-infant counselling and parent-infant psychotherapy

Video-based observation and behavioral microanalyses have critically contri buted to the international boom of infancy research in the early seventies. Video techniques have opened up a direct scientific access to the broad do mains of intuitive behavior acid thus to early integrative processes, self regulation, parenting, and preverbal communication. The exploratory potenti al of video based microanalyses may similarly promote innovative clinical a pproaches to preverbal processes and mechanisms of developmental psychopath ology and disordered parent-infant relationships. The article reviews curre ntly available video-based methods that are used in clinical diagnostics an d parent-infant consultation and psychotherapy. The article is based on rel evant international publications as well as on the Papouseks' use of behavi oral microanalyses during three decades of joint basic research and almost ten years clinical experience from the Munich Interdisciplinary Research an d intervention Program for Fussy Babys.