The Power of Beliefs: What Babies are Teaching Us

This paper explores the development of beliefs during the prenatal and
perinatal period and how babies portray their beliefs. Four vignettes from therapeutic work with babies illustrate
the powerful impact beliefs already have in shaping their lives. Basic principles to help babies shift potentially
constrictive beliefs to more life enhancing ones are included. This paper is intended as a theoretical and clinical
exploration leading to new thought, research and clinical direction. This paper calls for a paradigm for infant
development and communication with babies that is based on the premise that consciousness is the organizing
principle of human experience. The importance of both practitioner and parent’s beliefs is discussed.