The infant observation task as a tool in psychiatric practice.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the method and relevance of infant observation as a unique and powerful learning tool for psychiatrists. CONCLUSION: Infant observation provides a privileged entry into an infant's internal world to observe its earliest mental life. Weekly consecutive observations of the mother-baby dyad, combined with the process of supervision, enable identification of emergent and changing patterns in the relationship. The discipline of observation encourages attunement to the nuances of relationships, which provides a potent tool for application in other clinical settings.