Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RSC)

Strengthening the Workforce Through Reflective Relationships

Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RSC):

A foundational practice for professionals supporting infants, young children, and families. Discover how RSC builds workforce resilience, strengthens relationships, and improves outcomes across systems of care.

 

At the Alliance, we’re committed to strengthening Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RSC) across the infant, young child, and family-serving workforce. As demand for RSC grows, more teams are turning to it as a powerful tool for professional growth and deeper support for young children and their caregivers.

We offer a range of learning opportunities—from 3-hour trainings to multi-month learning collaboratives.

 

The 2025 Alliance Guidelines for Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RSC) are an evolved and expanded version of what was formerly known as the Best Practice Guidelines.

Rooted in the richness of infant and early childhood mental health, these Guidelines now speak to a broader community of relationship-based professionals across sectors. With a balance of structure and flexibility, they offer shared language and direction to support reflection, resilience, and connection in every context—from direct service to systems leadership.

 

  • Reflective supervision/consultation (RSC) is a relationship-based approach to professional development that supports individuals across various disciplines. It centers on the infant mental health principle that relationships, are the foundation for growth. RSC emphasizes a professional’s use of self, curiosity, and reflective functioning to effectively support their professional work with others through the power of relationship.

    RSC is a cornerstone of the Alliance’s commitment to advancing infant and early childhood mental health. By promoting relationship-based professional development, RSC strengthens the capacity, resilience, and reflective practice of the workforce across disciplines. As professionals navigate emotionally complex work within evolving systems of care, RSC offers a trusted structure for sustained support, learning, and growth. The Alliance works to ensure RSC is embedded not only in individual practice but across programs, organizations, and systems. The practice of RSC positions reflection, equity, and relationship at the heart of workforce development and effective, intentional, care for infants, young children, and their families.

  • RSC is a key strategy for supporting a healthy, effective, and equity-informed workforce. Here's why:

    • Supports Workforce Well-Being: Reduces burnout, strengthens emotional resilience, and promotes job satisfaction.

    • Improves Outcomes for Families: Professionals supported through RSC offer more responsive, relational, and culturally attuned care.

    • Builds Reflective Capacity: Fosters critical thinking, self-awareness, and empathy, essential for work with infants, young children, and families.

    • Strengthens Systems: Embedding RSC contributes to a culture of curiosity, care, and connection across programs and organizations.

  • RSC supports anyone working in relationship-based roles:

    • Infant and early childhood mental health professionals

    • Early care and education providers

    • Home visitors

    • Supervisors and administrators

    • Systems leaders

    • Policy and advocacy professionals

    Whether you are new to reflective practice or an experienced provider, RSC can support your ongoing growth and well-being.

  • At the Alliance, we believe that strong relationships strengthen relationships. Our work in RSC is grounded in:

    • Equity and inclusion

    • Parallel process

    • Cultural humility

    • Curiosity and co-creation

    • Field-informed guidance

    Our resources—including the new 2025 Alliance RSC Guidelines—center the voices and wisdom of professionals and communities across the infant and early childhood workforce.

 

Explore Alliance RSC Resources

Reflective Supervision/Consultation is more than a skill set—it’s a way of being. It’s a commitment to cultivating the inner lives of professionals so they can show up fully, with compassion, clarity, and connection, in service of infants, young children, and families. RSC invites us to slow down, reflect deeply, and tend to our own growth; because how we care for ourselves and one another shapes the care we offer to others.

Whether you're seeking to deepen your own reflective capacity or create systems that center relationships and equity, the Alliance is here to walk with you. Together, we can build a culture of reflection that supports the well-being of the workforce and transforms how we lead, serve, and sustain the field of infant and early childhood mental health.