Presented by Dr. Claudia Gold

How is work with infants and caregivers similar to improvisational jazz? In each encounter, we bring a body of knowledge derived from both scientific research and clinical experience. Yet in the clinical moment, our ability to connect with the family in front of us lies in our capacity to embrace a not-knowing stance and play in the uncertainty. In this session we will review the developmental science supporting the not-knowing stance and explore this essential paradox as it relates to the Newborn Behavioral Observation System, which serves to bring the baby’s voice into the music of the interaction.

Claudia M. Gold, MD is a pediatrician and writer who practiced pediatrics for over 20 years and now specializes in early relational health. She has clinical experience in a wide variety of communities and currently works at Volunteers in Medicine in rural Western Massachusetts. She is on the faculty of the Brazelton Institute and was on the faculty of the UMass fellowship in Early Relational Health for ten years. Her new book is Getting to Know You: Lessons in Early Relational Health from Infants and Caregivers (Teachers College Press, March 2025.) In addition to 3 other books, she co-authored, with infant researcher Ed Tronick, The Power of Discord: Why the Ups and Downs in Relationships are the Secret to Building Intimacy, Resilience, and Trust (Little, Brown Spark 2020). Dr. Gold speaks frequently to a variety of audiences including parents and professionals both in the US and around the world.