Family therapy and infant mental health: exploring the potential space

Abstract

For this special issue, we sought perspectives on the contributions of the infant to their family's development, including recovery from intergenerational trauma and the contribution of the family to the infant's relational security. This special issue features a series of 12 invited papers from a diverse group of professionals, including infant mental health specialists, Indigenous and non-Indigenous family therapists, academic family therapy teaching staff, and developmental psychology and systemic researchers. The contributions span several methodologies – ranging from curated conversations and qualitative research to conceptual insights, theoretical discussions, intervention reports, and new intergenerational empirical data. Through this editorial, we provide a brief overview of the collective works, spotlighting the invaluable synergistic contributions that infant mental health and family therapy approaches provide, while highlighting the untapped potential at their intersection.