Reflective Supervision Symposium

The 6th Biennial Reflective Supervision/Consultation Symposium: July 21 - 23, 2024

The Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health and the New Jersey Association for Infant Mental Health are excited to host the 2024 Reflective Supervision Symposium at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. The Symposium's purpose is to deepen the exploration of the practice of reflective supervision/consultation.  

This year’s theme is illuminating the multidisciplinary landscape of Reflective Supervision/Consultation.

The program will begin on Sunday, July 21st at 4:00 pm with a welcome gathering at the University Hall Conference Center. The top floor venue, which boasts breathtaking views of the New York City skyline, should provide an inspiring setting for this year’s event. The three-day Symposium will conclude with our closing event wrapping up by 2:00 PM on Tuesday, July 23rd. Lodging choices will include an on-campus option as well as two local hotels, with transportation provided to the event venue. More information on the housing options will be provided with the registration packet which will be available on March 1st. Air travel can be arranged to any of the New York City Airports, with the Newark International Airport (EWR) being the closest and most convenient. The Amtrak station most convenient to Montclair is Penn Station, Newark, NJ. The University is an easy twenty-minute Uber or Lyft ride from the airport or train station.

The Reflective Supervision/Consultation Symposium is a collaborative event that is co-hosted by the Alliance and a different Alliance member association on a biennial basis.

  • The first Symposium was co-hosted with the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI in August 2016.  

  • The second Symposium took place at the University of Minnesota's Center for Early Education and Development in August 2017 and was co-hosted with the Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health - Infant and Early Childhood.  

  • The third Symposium took place at the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado in August 2018 and will be co-hosted with the Colorado Association for Infant Mental Health.

  • The fourth Symposium occurred in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in July 2019 and was co-hosted with the Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental health.

  • The fifth Symposium will took place in Memphis, Tennessee and was offered virtually, across four time zones, in June 2022 and was co-hosted with the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee.

What is Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RSC)?

The Alliance is committed to the understanding and use of RSC, which is distinct due to the shared exploration of the parallel process. That is, attention to all of the relationships is important, including the ones between practitioner and supervisor, between practitioner and parent, and between parent and infant/toddler. It is critical to understand how each of these relationships affects the others. Of additional importance, reflective supervision/consultation relates to professional and personal development within one’s discipline by attending to the emotional content of the work and how reactions to the content affect the work. Finally, there is often greater emphasis on the supervisor/consultant’s ability to listen and wait, allowing the supervisee to discover solutions, concepts and perceptions on his/her own without interruption from the supervisor/consultant.