Jenny Perkel, author of the books Babies in Mind and Streets of Jewels, is a clinical psychologist, a mother and a trained nurse / midwife who has published numerous articles about babies, children and parenting for South African magazines. Jenny works in private practice in Cape Town, South Africa, offering psychoanalytic psychotherapy to adults and children, parent-infant psychotherapy and parental guidance.

Jenny is the managing co-editor of the professional journal, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in South Africa and the past chair-person (2011-2012) of the Western Cape Association for Infant Mental Health. She has trained and supervised childcare workers for various child and adolescent mental health projects and children’s homes. She has been involved in postgraduate teaching of child psychoanalytic psychotherapy and she has done radio appearances, talks and presentations with parents, mental health professionals and lay counsellors in areas of infant and child mental health and postnatal depression. Jenny is the director of the ‘Babies in Mind’ project. This nationwide South African initiative offers group and individual support and guidance to parents with the aim of optimizing mental health and well-being for babies and their parents.

Contact details: jenny@perkel.co.za