Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RS/C)
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Reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C) is a relationship-based supervisory approach where an infant mental health professional explores their thoughts and feelings about their work with infant/very young children and family with a qualified RS/C Supervisor. RS/C offers professionals the experiences of being heard, validated, and affirmed. RS/C is distinct from administrative supervision and clinical supervision due its focus on all of the relationships involved, including the relationships between professional and supervisor, between professional and parent, and between parent and infant/toddler. It is critical to understand how each of these relationships affects the other. RS/C for a manager/supervisor/or team leader would focus on the relationships with their staff and colleagues, and all of the other relationships related to their child- or family-serving work.
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Because words matter, we wanted to clarify the “slash” in RS/C - what is Reflective Supervision and what is Reflective Consultation? The Best Practice Guidelines for Reflective Supervision/Consultation (Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health, 2018) clarifies the difference between Reflective Supervision (and a reflective supervisor) and Reflective Consultation (and a reflective consultant):
Reflective Supervision is when a professional receives RS/C from a qualified supervisor within their agency or program. It is recommended that the supervisor schedule a meeting devoted to reflective supervision separate from administrative and clinical supervision. Reflective Consultation is when an outside consultant is hired to provide RS/C to an individual or group.
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The Best Practice Guidelines for Reflective Supervision/Consultation
Listing of Florida's Reflective Supervisors
Requirements for Endorsement
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To count towards your Endorsement® application, RS/C must be provided by an Endorsed Reflective Supervisor/Consultant or a provider who has been vetted by FAIMH. Please see the chart below for more details:
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FAIMH believes that RS/C is essential for all infant mental health professionals in all levels of service from promotion to prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment and in program and policy leadership. IMH Professionals who regularly engage in RS/C are better prepared to offer the same level of reflective support to their colleagues, supervisees, and the young children and families they serve.
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The components of Reflective Supervision/Consultation include:
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Forming a trusting relationship between supervisor and practitioner
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Establishing consistent and predictable meetings and times
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Asking questions that encourage details about the infant and parent as well as the emerging relationship
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Listening
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Remaining emotionally present
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Teaching and guiding
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Nurturing and supporting
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Integrating emotion and reason
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Fostering the reflective process to be internalized by the supervisee
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Exploring the parallel process and allow time for personal reflection
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Attending to how reactions to the content affect the reflective process​​
The Florida Association for Infant Mental Health is member of the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health.
