Why is Infant Observation a requirement in the Infant Mental Health Fellowship?
The experience of infant observation sets the stage both for learning about development and for beginning clinical work with parents and infants. Building awareness of our own internal experiences and how to make use of them and developing our capacity to tolerate uncertainty and difficult emotions are critical foundations for therapeutic work. While the experience of being a parent or working in the field has many benefits for undertaking the training program, the Infant Observation experience is unique in the learning it offers. It may be taken prior to or concurrently with the fellowship program. The course also may be taken independently of the Fellowship.
