The MI-AIMH Board of Directors is very pleased to welcome Cathy Liesman, Ph.D., IMH-E (IV) as President and Rosalva Osorio, L.M.S.W., IMH-E (III), as Vice President of the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health Board. Cathy is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Development Centers, Inc. (DCI) in Detroit and has had administrative responsibilities at…

Mothers’ and fathers’ engagement and support for young children after they experience distress teaches young children valuable skills in coping with negative emotions (Eisenberg, Cumberland, & Spinrad, 1998). This process is particularly critical in early childhood when these skills are emerging and in low-income, high stress populations (Raver, 2004).  Although dyadic (parent-child) regulation processes have…

In this research brief we will present research that explores family factors predicting parents’ negative responses to toddlers’ emotions.  It is important to learn more about mothers’ and fathers’ negative response as we understand that these responses impact the way that children are socialized to understand and express emotion.  Parental emotion socialization practices are thought…

Pregnancy has been described as the most difficult period in terms of psychological adjustment for fathers (Condon, Boyce, & Corkindale, 2004; Genesoni & Tallandinin, 2009). Therefore, learning to recognize the importance of their role and ways to engage them during pregnancy into postpartum can be challenging. Early childhood prenatal home visiting programs, in collaboration with…

Relationship-based interventions, like infant mental health, target the caregiving relationship as a way to support infant attachment security and social-emotional development.  In theory, IMH therapists support reflective functioning when they provide developmental guidance, speak for the baby, remain curious about both parents’ and infants’ internal experiences and help parents reflect on and re-process experiences and…

Infant mental health specialists recognize the unique strengths and needs of each family. An understanding of variations in child temperament can help clinicians provide developmental information that is specific to each baby.  It can also be used to help parents recognize and foster their children’s individual potential. Research confirms that individuals vary in their degree…

Introduction      Family-based early intervention is crucial for children who have delays or disabilities, including those who have hearing loss (Division for Early Childhood, 2014; Moeller, Carr, Seaver, Stredler-Brown, & Holzinger, 2013). Many of these families receive support and early intervention services through Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; in Michigan…

The second year of life is a period for significant growth in empathy-related behaviors including prosocial behaviors (e.g. sharing, helping, comforting others in distress), empathic concern or affective expression of concern (e.g. facial expressions), and cognitive attempts to understand others’ internal states (Knafo, Zahn-Waxler, Van Hulle, Robinson, & Rhee, 2008; Zhan-Waxler, Robinson, & Emde, 1992). …

Colleen Kraft, MD, a keynote speaker at the 2015 MI-AIMH Biennial Conference, “Caring for the Whole Child: Working Together for the Health and Well-Being of Infants, Toddlers and their Families,” is an expert on the family-centered medical home in pediatrics, with particular emphasis on the use of this model with infants, toddlers, and their families (Kraft,…

The Australian Association for Infant Mental Health West Australian Branch Incorporated (AAIMHI WA) has purchased a license from the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) to begin using the MI-AIMH Competency Guidelines® as standards to promote infant mental health (IMH) in Western Australia (WA). WA is leading the way internationally as the first Affiliate…