Reflective practice in infant mental health —a south african perspective

ABSTRACT
Reflective practice forms a pivotal part of mental health intervention in a setting where language and cultural differences require working together with a community counselor for language interpretation. Reflective practice in infant mental health began with Esther Bick's () infant observations and continued with Selma Fraiberg's () parent–infant psychotherapy. These two models formed the basis of the practice of infant mental health in a community in South Africa. A clinical example will highlight the importance of culturally informed observation that is then reflected upon. A qualitative study that examined the interaction among the participants in three clinical settings shows that a sustained partnership and tolerance for flexibility lie at the heart of good practice in intercultural settings. Object‐relations theory offers an additional, in‐depth understanding of the underlying psychic processes in reflective practice.

RESUMEN
La práctica con reflexión forma parte esencial de la intervención de salud mental en un caso en que las diferencias culturales y de lenguaje requieren el trabajo en conjunto con un consejero comunitario para la interpretación del lenguaje. La práctica con reflexión en el campo de salud mental infantil comenzó con las observaciones de infante de Esther Bick y continuó con la sicoterapia progenitor‐infante de Selma Fraiberg. Estos dos modelos formaron la base de la práctica de salud mental infantil en una comunidad en Sud�...

Source: Infant Mental Health Journal - October 25, 2016 Category: Child Development Authors: Astrid Berg Tags: CLINICAL PERSPECTIVES Source Type: research