The starting-point of this text was an article published earlier in the Dutch Journal of Client-centered Psychotherapy entitled Comments on imitation and intersubjectivity in neonates and infants in relation with various aspects of psychotherapy (Peters, 2003). In this article I discussed some ideas on imitation and intersubjectivity. On the basis of several studies I demonstrated the importance of imitation in early live for a well developed intersubjectivity, and for a well established functional development in general. I also referred to the importance of imitation and intersubjectivity for certain aspects of psychotherapy, particularly the pre-therapeutic reflections. The intention of this article is a more thorough investigation into the possible relationship between imitation, intersubjectivity and pre-therapy. More in particular, I will show the reader that pre-therapeutical reflections, as I see it, can be traced back to very basic, innate potentialities in infants. In doing so I hope to provide a model that makes it possible to explain the successful application of pre-therapy from a developmental perspective.
The tPeP (Journal Person-centered experiential Psychotherapy) is the scientific journal for Dutch and Flemish psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, that work from, or are interested in a client-centered perspective.