Beyond the dyad: Parent–infant psychotherapy in a multicultural society—reflections from a South African perspective

Abstract

Awareness of infant mental health has steadily been growing in South Africa. The University of Cape Town Parent-Infant Mental Health Service serves the under three population in two areas in Cape Town. The challenges that face professionals when working in a traditional community are numerous. Besides the problems that poverty bring, there are the differences in cultures that need to be understood and engaged with. Although South Africa is now in the phase of integrating its cultural diversity, professional training has been based on western models. These models place the emphasis on individual, personal relationships. The African worldview, however, includes a deep awareness of the importance of the collective community. The sense of person-hood is rooted in this consciousness. For psychotherapy in South Africa to be relevant and appropriate, professionals working in this field have to be aware and genuinely respectful of differences between the various cultural groups. The complexity of two cultures meeting without sufficient awareness of difference is illustrated in the failed psychotherapy of a mother-infant dyad that resulted in attempted infanticide. This highlights the shortcomings of a psychotherapy based on dyadic attachment models only.RESUMEN: El conocimiento de la salud mental infantil ha crecido constantemente en Sudáfrica. Los servicios de salud mental para padres e infantes en la Universidad de la Ciudad del Cabo ayudan a la triple población baja en dos áreas de esta capital. Los retos que los profesionales encuentran cuando trabajan en una comunidad tradicional son numerosos. Además de los problemas que aporta el estado de pobreza, están las diferencias culturales, las cuales necesitan ser comprendidas y asimiladas. Mientras que Sudáfrica está ahora en la fase de integración de su diversidad cultural, el entrenamiento profesional ha estado basado en los modelos occidentales. Estos modelos ponen énfasis en las relaciones individuales y personales. Sin embargo, la perspectiva mundial que tiene el africano incluye un profundo conocimiento de la importancia de la comunidad en forma colectiva. El sentido de lo que significa ser persona tiene raíces en este tipo de consciencia colectiva. Para que la sicoterapia tenga relevancia en Sudáfrica y al mismo tiempo sea apropiada, los prefesionales que trabajan en este campo tienen que estar conscientes y ser genuinamente respetuosos de las diferencias entre los varios grupos culturales. Lo complejo de dos culturas que se encuentran sin el suficiente conocimiento de las diferencias se ilustra en la fallida sico- 266• A. Berg terapia de una díada --madre e infante--, la cual resultó en un intento de infanticidio. Esto subraya los puntos débiles de la sicoterapia que se basa en los modelos de afectividad que solamente toman en cuenta una díada.RÉ SUMÉ : La prise de conscience de la santé mentale du nourrisson grandit régulièrement en Afrique du Sud. Le Service de Santé Mentale du Nourrisson de l'Université de Cape Town sert la population de moins de tr...

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