Holding the Holder: Connection, Care, and the Spaces We Work Within

Infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) work lives at the intersection of relationship, reflection, and context. Professionals, including early childhood educators and leaders, are asked to hold the emotional experiences of families while also navigating the realities of their workplaces, expectations, policies, pace, and culture. Over time, stress and trauma can create disconnection not only within ourselves, but across teams and organizational spaces. 

While self-care is often offered as a response, it does not fully account for the ways our environments shape our capacity to stay connected. Early childhood leaders play a critical role in shaping these environments and in creating the conditions for connection, reflection, and well-being. (At the same time, organizational change alone cannot occur without attention to the lived experiences of the workforce.) 

Session one (October 1st) explores the dynamic relationship between individual and organizational experiences through an infant mental health lens. Grounded in principles such as reflection, parallel process, and relationship-based practice, participants will consider how connection can be nurtured within themselves, in their relationships, and within the spaces they work, including how leadership practices can support and sustain these conditions. Together, we will reimagine care as something that is both personal and collective, something we practice and something we build. 

Session two will be a space to have some deeper reflection and conversation with Dr. Rice on the principles and impact of session one!  You do not need to attend session two, but attendance at session one is required for session two!

Learning Objectives: 

• Describe how both individual experiences (e.g., stress, trauma, emotional load) and organizational conditions (e.g., culture, expectations, policies) influence connection and well-being in IECMH practice and early childhood leadership contexts. 

• Apply infant - child mental health principles (e.g., reflection, parallel process, relationship-based practice) to understand the interaction between personal and workplace experiences, including the role of leadership in shaping these environments. 

• Identify at least two strategies to support connection and care at both the individual and relational/organizational level within their professional context, including leadership practices that foster supportive environments.