Los mecanismos de defensa de los padres hacia los profesionales: situaciones clínicas

The Centre de Desenvolupament Infantil i Atenció Primerenca (CDIAP: «Child Development and Early Attention Centre») of Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down (FCSD) caters for a child population within an age range spanning from birth up to six years and suffering from some form of development alteration. This paper reflects upon the anxiety felt by parents upon consulting this service, together with the defence mechanisms, resistances and other parental reactions that might arise during the treatments. This article sets out to foster and develop an understanding of these situations so that the therapist can help parents to form a mental picture of and symbolise their grief, thereby helping them to carry out their parental function.