Valiant Counseling and Consulting, LLC

When an infant or young child babbles, gestures, or cries, and an adult responds with eye contact, words, or a hug, this back-and-forth interaction—known as serve and return—helps to build and strengthen neural connections in the child’s brain. These connections are essential for the development of communication and social skills. Learn more about serve and return, including how policies and programs that reduce stressors and support caregiver well-being can help foster these important interactions, here: https://bit.ly/3Pxl5kv

I’m excited to be at Day 1 of the ZERO TO THREE Learn Conference with Tulsa Safe Babies and we’re off to a great start!

I’m happy to be representing Oklahoma Association for Infant Mental Health at this year’s RSC Symposium with Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. Really enjoying this morning’s Dyadic RSC Review. ????

Let's talk about the "professional use of self" in reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C). At first glance, this idea may evoke thoughts of self-disclosure or even fears of countertransference. In response to these fears, we may think it best to run in the other direction because we don't want to be unethical or make the reflective space about us, right? But what if I told you that there was a way to respond to our own thoughts, feelings, and experiences that come up as we provide RS/C? The "professional use of self" outlined in the Best Practice Guidelines for Reflective Supervision and Consultation offers us another path. Rather than running away in fear or even responding to situation by meeting our own needs, we as reflective supervisors can pause, reflect, and be curious about feelings, thoughts, or memories that may be coming up for us. We can wonder how this may relate to the supervisee, client, or situation. In doing so, we may learn that our professional use of self can inform us of a parallel process that may be occurring with the supervisee and/or the family, and/or the client. If we bypass or retreat from this opportunity, might we be missing something? What are your thoughts on the professional use of self in reflective supervision/consultation?

We’ve just updated our Page. Visit our Page to see the latest updates.

Did you know that the a child's earliest relationships are what set the tone for all future relationships? From the very beginning, humans come into the world looking for someone with whom they can connect. This is key to our survival, but it goes so far beyond just having basic needs met like food and protection. People need other people to be there for them through a range of experiences and emotions - this is how children become adults who can be with themselves and others through a range of experiences and emotions. This "withness" that the child experiences becomes a "witness" to what the child can expect in relationships with others. It's called emotional availability and it's one of the most vital components for successful relationships. Who can you practice "withness" with today?

I'm so excited to be writing the first post for what is a dream coming true! Valiant Counseling and Consulting, LLC is the place where all of my passions for infants/young children and their families, IECMH workforce development, and reflective consultation all get to converge! Additionally, for the LinkedIn community, I hope to provide content that promotes strong and healthy relationships. So, if you want to stay up-to-date with us, follow our page.