A Trail Guide for Your Journey: Receiving Reflective Supervision

This module is designed to introduce participants to the experience of engaging in a reflective supervisory experience. Participants will complete brief readings, videos, and reflective writing exercises detailing content about:

• The essential elements of reflective supervision
• Understanding the reflective stance and qualities reflective supervisees can adopt to make the most of reflective supervision
• Recognizing burnout and vicarious trauma as by-products of working with infants, young children, and families
• Developing self-regulation strategies to manage work-related stress and vicarious trauma, particularly in the absence of receiving reflective supervision

Learning objectives

1. Define and understand the essential elements of a reflective supervisory relationship.
2. Understand the roles diversity and power play in the supervisory relationship.
3. Identify qualities the reflective supervisee needs in order to benefit from reflective supervision.
4. Understand the “reflective stance.”
5. Develop strategies for self-regulation to manage vicarious trauma.

Content author

Tanika Eaves, PhD, LCSW, IMH-E™, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Fairfield University Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies.

Dr. Eaves has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Fairfield University, a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Eaves has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for over 20 years, and holds the CT Association for Infant Mental Health Endorsement as an Infant Mental Health Specialist. Her professional experience includes: child and family guidance clinics, early intervention programs, early childhood mental health consultation, policy work, parent-infant psychotherapy, and training/consultation with home visiting clinicians. Dr. Eaves research investigates individual and organizational factors related to workDr. Eaves has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Fairfield University, a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Connecticut.  Dr. Eaves has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for over 20 years, and holds the CT Association for Infant Mental Health Endorsement as an Infant Mental Health Specialist. Her professional experience includes: child and family guidance clinics, early intervention programs, early childhood mental health consultation, policy work, parent-infant psychotherapy, and training/consultation with home visiting clinicians. Dr. Eaves research investigates individual and organizational factors related to work-related stress management amongst frontline and supervising infant mental health practitioners.

Intended audience

Practitioner, Decision Maker

Knowledge and competency areas

Cultural Humility, Self-Awareness

additional information

• Module takes 3 hours to complete.
• In addition to private assignments, participants will engage in learning through posts to discussion boards and video recorded responses.
• Student receives a 3-clock-hour certificate of completion.
• The knowledge competency areas in this module have been assigned by the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health and meet IMH-E®/ECMHE® training and renewal requirements.
• Access to module is good for one year, starting on the date of registration.