Through Windows of Opportunity

Marianne Bentzen is a neuroaffective psychotherapist, who has been leading professional trainings in Somatic Psychotherapy in Europe and North America since 1982. Her focus today is on the practical applications of neuroaffective developmental psychology, PTSD treatment, mindfulness practice and systemic processes. She has authored numerous articles for professional publications in Danish, English, and German. Susan Hart is a psychologist who has been the director of a municipal family therapy centre; her experience also includes work in municipal social services and in a children's psychiatric ward. Today, she has an independent practice and works mainly with professional supervision of psychologists, visiting nurses, and social workers in child and family departments, personnel in child psychiatric wards, and advisers to foster families. She is the author of several books and articles on neuroaffective developmental psychology, and frequently gives lectures and courses on the topic.

• ABOUT THE AUTHORS FOREWORD Colwyn Trevarthen INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE The importance of present moments CHAPTER TWO Neuroaffective developmental psychology: a 'map' for understanding child psychotherapyCHAPTER THREE The autonomic compass and somatic experiencing CHAPTER FOUR The limbic compass and Theraplay CHAPTER FIVE The prefrontal compass and developmentally supportive conversations with childrenCHAPTER SIX The second growth spurt and multi-family mentalization-based therapyCHAPTER SEVEN The therapist in the role of caravan leader CHAPTER EIGHT Enacting the child's feelings in the psychotherapeutic processCHAPTER NINE Magic and transformationCHAPTER TEN Emotions, words, and mentalization CHAPTER ELEVEN Parental involvement CHAPTER TWELVE Closing remarks REFERENCES INDEX

'This book is a very valuable practical application of my decades of developmental research on the psychobiological transformations of meaning from somatic processes in infancy to cortical processes in adolescence. Building on my work with my colleagues in the Boston Process Change Group, Marianne Bentzen and Susan Hart focus on the micro-regulatory processes between parents and children and therapist and patients that generate transformation processes in psychotherapy. As we proposed in the Boston group, the authors see the therapeutic relationship itself as the single most powerful process in psychotherapy. This book begins to reveal that any therapist in every moment simultaneously operates at as multiple psychobiological meaning making levels that can map onto the polymorphic meaning making of the child, such that new meanings and transformations are co-created. The neuroaffective compass model presented provides the clinician working with children and their families with directionality at these multiple levels. '-Ed Tronick, University Distinguished Professor, University of Massachusetts Boston; Research Associate, Harvard Medical School; and author of The Neurobehavioral and Social Emotional Development of the Infant and Young Child'This intriguing and original book is the first exploration of the "moments of meeting" paradigm, which Dan Stern would have been delighted with and all of us can learn from. The authors have provided a highly integrated application of neuroaffective developmental psychology to bring a revitalising perspective to psychological therapy for children. It is well worth reading - and reading again.'-Professor Peter Fonagy, PhD, FBA, OBE, Freud Memorial Professor of Psychoanalysis and Head of the Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London; Chief Executive, The Anna Freud Centre, London