reflective supervisionas a bridgereflective supervision as a bridge objectives •expand...

Reflective Supervision as a Bridge

NM FIT Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, [email protected] -6/13/2018 1

June 13, 2018

Jacqui Van Horn, MPH, IMHM-C, DS IIIThe Parent-Infant Study Center

Albuquerque, NM


Objectives

• Expand understanding of “reflection” to include the what & how of both intervention strategies & interpersonal interactions.

• Define “reflective functioning”.

• Identify 2-3 key concepts used in reflective supervision.

What’s Working

Think about a reflective supervision interaction that went well.•What did you experience? •What do you think the

other person experienced?•What makes you think this?



What’s Working

Think about a reflective supervision interaction that did not go well.•What did you experience?

•What do you think the other person experienced?

•What makes you think this?

Our understanding of the world around us is closely tied to our

understanding of the mind:

Our own mind & the

minds of others.

Fonagy, P., Steele, M., Moran, G., Steele, H., & Higgitt, A. (1991).

Why do I do what I do?

Why do youdo what you do?



Minds(thoughts, feelings, ideas, beliefs, intentions, &motivations)Direct Behaviors.

Our own &Others’

Reflecting

•What do you experience?

•What do you think the other person experiences?

•What makes you think this?

Reflective Functioning

The process used to:• Pay attention to;• Recognize; • Interpret; and • Make meaning of

behaviors while considering the

thoughts, feelings, beliefs and intentions that underlie and motivate the behaviors.

(Fonagy & Target, 2005)



Reflective Supervision SupportsReflective Practice

Reflective Practice SupportsReflective Functioning

Reflective Functioning Supports:• Effective interpersonal interactions

& relationships• High quality services• Reflective parenting• Positive child outcomes

Children learn to make sense of theirown and others’ behavior by having theirfeelings, ideas, and intentions mirroredback to them accurately.

Parents who are able to attend to the minds of their children as a way to make sense of their behaviors are engaging their own reflective capacity while supporting the development of reflection in their children.

Mom knows I like to be

cheered on.

He’s working so hard & likes it when I cheer

for his success.

Child development is supportedwhen parents “mentalize”.



Early intervention professionals who are able to attend to their own minds, and parents’ minds, while . . . . . . parents attend to

the minds of their children as a way to make sense of their behaviors . . .

. . . are engaging their own reflective capacity while . . .

. . . supporting the development of reflection inparents who are supporting its development in their children.

Reflective supervisors who . . .

Nathan’s mom tunes into Nathan’s mind to understand his behaviors

Laura tunes in to Mom’s & Nathan’s minds to understand their behaviors so she canbe more effective.

Reflective supervision offers a calm,intentional space and process topractice reflecting so that professionalscan use this skill even in difficultsituations.



Reflective Collaboration• Strategies &• Mental states

Mom knows what works. I’ll follow her lead.

Laura “gets it” that this is a big deal for Nathan

Child & FamilyOutcomes

InterpersonalInteractions

Intervention Approaches & Strategies

Reflection is needed to explore intervention approaches & strategies and interpersonal interactions.



Reflective Supervision creates opportunities for practitioners

to

See it. Say it. Feel it. Own it.

Victor Bernstein

Reflecting onInterventions

Reflecting onInteractions

How did you decide on the intervention?

How do support the parent’s healthy interactions with their child through this intervention?

How do you know if it is working? What do you look for (in yourself, the parent, and the child) to understand what is working?

The Bridge

Goal of Reflective Supervision

Service Quality

• Increase clarity about what the work is, what is expected, and how we expect this to happen.

• Help professionals be more intentional when doing their work.

• Increase self-other awareness

• Decrease reactivity; avoid acting on “autopilot”

• Support an intentional use of the parallel process

• Support staff in the way we want staff to support children and families; and

• In the way we want parents to support and interact with their children.



• Reflection• Parallel Process• Use of Self• Relationship-based Practice• Scope of Practice and Boundaries• Positive Regard and Caring• Regularity and Reliability• Reflective Functioning• Considering Multiple Perspectives• Collaborative Solution Finding/Openness to

Possibilities• Strengths-based

(Heffron & Murch, 2012)

About Our Video Examples

• Not intended to demonstrate “the right way”

• Confidentiality is required of all of us regarding what we see, hear and discuss related other learners’ processes.

• If you have a judgment/critique about what you observe, get authentically curious and think of what questions you have for yourself about what you see, think and feel.

When “telling” works,do it clearly, kindly and with confidence!

When “telling” doesn’t result inthe desired action, more telling is unlikely

to do so and gets in the way of productive change.



When in doubt,

ASKDon’t TELL

• Self-assess

• How well do you balance your attention to reflect on both strategies & interpersonal interactions?

• Do you have a “default” position? If so, what pulls you there?

• What can you do to recognize the pull and get back in balance?

• Identify supports

• Your own reflective supervision

• Other forms of professional development

reflective supervisionas a bridgereflective supervision as a bridge objectives •expand...

Documents