Massachusetts Association for Infant Mental Health
Reflective Supervision
What Is Reflective Supervision?
Reflective supervision is a key component of infant and early childhood mental health practice and a requirement to receive MassAIMH Endorsement®. Reflective supervision like other aspects of infant and early childhood mental health, is characterized by the value it places on relationship-based practice. Reflective supervisors attend to relationships on multiple levels including the relationships between practitioners and supervisors, between practitioners and parents/caregivers, and between parents/caregivers and children. Reflective supervision also attends to the parallel process as it is understood that each relationship affects the others.
“It Is Not Possible To Work On Behalf Of Human Beings To Try To Help Them Without Having Powerful Feelings Aroused In Yourself” (Pawl, 1995, P. 24.)
Reflective supervisors recognize that practitioners experience strong emotions when working with infants, young children, and their families. Reflective supervisors, therefore, address the emotional content of the work and how the practitioners’ emotional reactions affect their work.
Reflective Supervision Supports Practitioners In Providing Best-Practice, High-Quality Care To Families
The relationship between the reflective supervisor and practitioner is characterized by reflection, collaboration, and regularity (ZERO TO THREE). The reflective supervisor creates a safe atmosphere, listens to the supervisee, asks questions, remains emotionally present, and provides support and guidance. This allows the supervisee to think deeply about a family, about their thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of that family, and about the best path to move forward in working with the family. As the practitioner is supported by the supervisor, the practitioner can similarly support a family.
Dear MassAIMH Members,
We're writing with an update as we prepare for MassAIMH's new home at Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC).
MassAIMH's Board of Directors has begun the process of filing to dissolve the charitable corporation (please see the letter sent to members on April 7th, 2026 for additional information). We're now working out the details for transitioning MassAIMH's operations to MSPCC.
The exact timeline depends on the state's approval of the dissolution, and we do not have a firm date by which the dissolution will be finalized. Because we need to close out our financial records to proceed with the dissolution filing, we will temporarily pause accepting MassAIMH membership dues as of August 15, 2026.
Processing of your membership dues will pause from September 1 through December 31, 2026, and RESUME on January 1, 2027.
As of January 2027, we plan to transition to a calendar-year dues cycle.
What this means for you: As of January 2027, everyone will pay MassAIMH membership dues on an annual calendar year basis. Current members will receive communication to initiate dues for the 2027 calendar year, payable within 30 days through the membership portal.
If you've recently paid annual membership, we'll refund you for the period starting September 1, 2026.
If your renewal falls between now and December 31, 2026, your membership will be honored through that period at no charge for those 4.5 months.
Remember—through all these changes, MassAIMH proudly remains your Infant Mental Health professional association and we look forward to continuing to serve you even better! Joining the MSPCC family strengthens our shared mission and vision, and positions us to grow our work supporting the prenatal-to-six workforce across Massachusetts.
For any further questions do not hesitate to reach us via email at massaimh@mspcc.org.
With my warmest wishes,
Anat Weisenfreund, MS, IMH-E®
Infant Mental Health Mentor-Policy
President, MassAIMH
