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Dear friends and members of WCAIMH,
I hope the year has gotten off to a good start for you and that it will be a successful and blessed year ahead.
At the end of 2022, WCAIMH and GAIMH merged to become the South African Association for Infant Mental Health (ZA-AIMH). At our last AGM, WCAIMH members agreed that the WCAIMH committee will manage the administrative arrangements for the launch of ZA-AIMH - unfortunately Salisha Maharaj has resigned from her position as secretary and Nicki Dawson has taken over as secretary of ZA-AIMH.
ZA-AIMH will continue with monthly virtual speaker evenings on the 3rd Thursday of each month which will be free to members and carry a cost of R100 for non-members. Our first meeting will take place on Thursday 16 February 2023 at 19.00. If you are interested in joining ZA-AIMH as a member, or would like to join the ZA-AIMH mailing list, we will be sending out communication to everyone who have registered on the following link: https://forms.gle/3ERq3nXjLcgTNU9V8
Please complete your details here if you have not already done so, as future communication will take place from ZA-AIMH. The ZA-AIMH email address is: zainfantmh@gmail.com
This will be our last communication to you from WCAIMH. We wish you well in your future endeavours to support infants and families in need and we hope you will join us as a member of ZA-AIMH.
Warm regards,
Juané Voges (Chairperson)
Nicki Dawson (Secretary)
Kirsty Gilmour (Treasurer)
Dijana Mitrovic (Media and Website development)
WCAIMH November 2022 Newsletter Dear members and friends of WCAIMH, https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYld-utqTguHNN7oGP1346VNp7xhWLAcHf9 With Warm and festive greetings, Special Announcement:
Meg Faure (OT, author and baby specialist) is hosting a Preterm Infant Care for Professionals event on Tuesday 15 November at 8pm. This interactive, online workshop will give you insights & science-based guidance into the sensory development & feeding journey of premature infants. Speaking at the event is Professor & Director of the NuMIQ Research Entity at North-West University, Welma Lubbe & Clinical Paediatric Dietician & author, Kath Megaw.
Together, we'll share the practical knowledge you need to: Support preemie growth & development, help prevent sensory delays & disorders later in early childhood, empower parents to participate in their baby’s development, and more.
Healthcare professionals earn 1 CPD point for attending the 1 hour workshop.
Date & Time: 15 November 2022 @ 8pm [SAST] / 7pm [BST] Who should attend: Paediatricians, Nurses, Therapists & Allied Health Professionals working with preterm infants and their parents. Expectant parents and parents of premature babies are also welcome to join. Cost: FREE
Find out more here and book your place for the Preterm Infant Care for Professionals workshop now.
WCAIMH October 2022 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, Over the years South Africa has had the pleasure of being host to two Infant Mental Health Associations affiliated to the World Association for Infant Mental Health - the Gauteng Association for Infant Mental Health (GAIMH) and the Western Cape Association for Infant Mental Health (WCAIMH). Over recent times, with the expansion of online capabilities and the growing need to collaborate across geographical boundaries there have been plans put in motion for a single association of infant mental health in South Africa. The South African Association for Infant Mental Health (ZA-AIMH) will allow all professionals who are interested in and who work with infants and caregivers to join a single national network. The vision thereof is to streamline professional development, advocacy, research and access information and opportunities that exist in the field of Infant Mental Health across the country and from around the world. At this current time, the Western Cape Association for Infant Mental Health and its Executive Committee will manage administrative matters related to creating a single South African Association. We have the pleasure of honoring such a momentous time for Infant Mental Health in South Africa with a video message from President-Elect of the World Association for Infant Mental Health Emeritus Professor Astrid Berg. Please view the video on YouTube at the following link: https://youtu.be/8ZCWKug4PGo. We would like to invite you to join the South African Association for Infant Mental Health's mailing list by clicking here. Details on membership and upcoming CPD accredited talks will be sent in January 2023 to those who register their email addresses. After this time there will no longer be mailing lists for GAIMH or WCAIMH. As an opportunity to experience a shared ZA-AIMH community, the Western Cape Association for Infant Mental Health would like to open its CPD accredited October meeting to anyone who is interested, free of charge. We have the pleasure of hosting Dr. Sibongile Mpongwana-Ncetani, a fourth-year psychiatry registrar at Stellenbosch University who will discuss her research project, titled "Experiences of Xhosa women providing Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa". She will explore the burden of preterm births in low- and middle-income countries, explore the themes that emerged from the study and discuss the recommendations that followed from the study. Date: 20 October 2022 Please see this month's newsletter above with more information and IMH news from around the world. Wishing you all well and looking forward to connecting with you all, Western Cape Association for Infant Mental Health Committee WCAIMH September 2022 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH,
We are so delighted that WCAIMH has been growing with new members and people interested in the talks that have been on offer. We are pleased to welcome members from around the country who are interested in and work with infants and their caregivers to join WCAIMH and our monthly meetings. If you would like to become a member of WCAIMH, please complete the following membership form here: https://forms.gle/h5AAzkEAnNdEmk3s7. We will then add you to our email list so that you stay updated about talks offered and upcoming events from around the IMH world.
We are excited to welcome an international speaker, Flavia Medrea for our September meeting. Flavia will present on Parental mentalization abilities: a key to understanding a child's mind and behaviour.
Flavia is a Ph.D. student at the Doctoral School of Applied Cognitive Psychology,
Babes-Bolyai University, Romania, under the supervision of prof. Oana Benga. Her educational background includes a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Counselling and Psychological Interventions in Human Development, both at Babes-Bolyai University, Romania. She has been a member of the Developmental Psychology Research Laboratory since 2016. Her main field of interest is Developmental Psychology, and her doctoral thesis investigates the concepts of parental mind-mindedness and prosocial behaviour in preschoolers. Her research analyses the degree to which parental mind-mindedness supports the development of the child's prosocial abilities and behaviour, taking into account both parental factors and individual factors. Please click on the following link to register for the talk and details with the link will be
Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation Cost: The talk is free for members. Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com We would like to kindly request that you do an EFT, and not a bank deposit. Contact us if you cannot do an EFT and we can make alternative arrangements. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Please enjoy our September newsletter attached for more information on the talk and other news from the IMH field from around the world.
Warm regards
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We have the pleasure of introducing Marlette Burger as our August speaker on the topic “A prospective longitudinal study of the impact of maternal mental health disorders on the neurodevelopmental trajectories of children during the first 18 months”. Marlette is a senior lecturer at the Division of Physiotherapy at Stellenbosch University, and she has recently completed her PhD research in the field of maternal mental health and infant neurodevelopment.
Please join us via zoom by completing the registration on the following link:
When: Aug 18, 2022 07:00 PM Johannesburg
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMof-Csqz0iE9IZnRiIdvfkrElhJiF4H9HC
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The meeting is free for members and non-members can join for a cost of R60. Please refer to the newsletter for details on payment. Please ensure that all POPs reach us by 4pm on Wednesday 17th August in order for us to approve your registration for the meeting.
We will be communicating further details on our new CPD system as soon as it becomes available to us.
Please note that the closing date for Stellenbosch University's Mphil in Infant Mental Health is 19 August 2022. We encourage all to apply who are interested with proof of registration with their regulatory body and a 2 page CV to aneesata@sun.ac.za or anusha@sun.ac.za. Bursaries are available to eligable candidates who are successful.
Looking forward to seeing you all at the next meeting.
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, Over the years we have engaged in many discussions and debates around sleep training. We understand that sleep is something that many parents struggle with and that sleep training has offered much relief - and controversy amongst parents and infant-mental health practitioners alike. This month we bring you a talk by Goodnight Baby Sleep Consultants:“Teaching parents good sleep hygiene for children of all ages”. Good Night is a child and baby sleep consultancy that specialises in helping parents with children who struggle to sleep soundly and is tailored for parents who have difficulties with children who cannot sleep through the night. Good Night’s aim is to help parents with a responsible holistic approach to better day naps and overall sleep health. Good Night is a member of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants (APSC) which adds to their belief to remain accountable and responsible in their offering. The talk will be given by Raylene de Villiers, a certified Good Night Sleep Consultant. It will be an opportunity for us to learn more about sleep training practice and to engage in discussion around support for parents who need help with this aspect of parenting.
Please click on the following link to register for the talk:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwoc-yprj4oEtXpdWHRC1VsR1UaMH1Yfrp0
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Please note that the meeting is free for members, and non-members can join for a fee of R60. Details on payment can be found in the newsletter.
We are pleased to announce our Networking and Social evening on 3 August 2022, 7pm at Magic Roma in Pinelands. Please click the link to RSVP by 25 July 2022: WCAIMH Networking and Dinner Social
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, This month, we have the pleasure of welcoming two research psychologists, Dr Athena Pedro and Carushca de Beer as our June speakers on the topic “Exploring the experiences of being a father during the First 1000 days of Life.
Dr Athena Pedro is a Research Psychologist and Academic in the Department of Psychology at UWC. She has a special interest in working with families and specifically children presenting with special needs, such as learning difficulties and developmental delay. She is particularly involved with the development of remedial programmes, presenting psycho-educational workshops for parents of special needs children and preschool educators. Much of her focus has been on providing support for parents and educators who are from impoverished communities.
Carushca de Beer obtained her Bachelors (2018) and Honours (2019) degree and is currently working towards completing her Master's degree in Research Psychology as well. She is motivated to create awareness regarding the importance of Early Childhood Development in South Africa, as well as to aid children in reaching their fullest potential for optimal development. Alongside her research supervisor and co-workers, she has assisted with various projects pertaining to the First 1000 Days of a child's life; and aspires to advance knowledge within this field of research.
Date: 23 June 2022 Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElcu-opzosHdyWyYtHhbHZnv0k0vjrvsu5 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Cost: The talk is free for members. Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60.
Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com Please find attached this month's newsletter for upcoming events and IMH information from around the world.
Warm regards
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We are excited to welcome Kate Armstrong as our May speaker with the topic: “Nannies or Creche: Exploring child carers’ knowledge of the first 1000 days and their perception of the significance of their role as carers”. Kate has been a practicing Educational Psychologist in Cape Town for over 20 years. Most recently she has completed the Mphil in Infant Mental Health through Stellenbosch University. More can be found about Brain Child and Kate’s work on www.brainchildcapetown.co.za.
Please note that we have started implementing a new registration system for our monthly Zoom meetings, which has helped to minimise our administration burden. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Time: 7pm Registration for Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErdemhrjosGN2FJTFwTJGgMqEqswGj2ORr The talk is free for members. Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60, after which you will be required to register and receive the link to the talk.
Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to Please find attached our monthly newsletter for some exciting news from the Infant Mental Health community around the world and access to a webinar to celebrate World Infant, Child, and Adolescent Mental Health Day (WICAMHD) which can be found on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgOV4WR0m7I.
Warm regards,
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We look forward to bringing you another online meeting this month! We will be hosting Genevieve Putter, a postpartum doula, coach and content creator who will be presenting a talk titled “Postpartum matrescence and motherhood in the digital age”. In her talk Genevieve will cover some of the major themes that have come up in the past 4 years since running her platform the New Normal on Instagram, how common narratives of motherhood, birth and postpartum are being challenged and why this is important in building community where nuance is the gateway to inclusivity and where parents, specifically mothers, feel seen. Please find more details about Genevieve and her work in our monthly newsletter attached.
Date: 21 April 2021
Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation As we constantly work to streamline our online systems, all those wishing to join the talk will be required to register with the following link in order to receive the zoom invitation:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rdOyopjMjHNExnRyl1SbvmFC9UXYV4Qpg. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The talk is free for members. Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Banking details can be found in our newsletter attached.
It was unfortunate that our March talk by Prof Linda Richter had to be cancelled. We thank all our members for their understanding and support. Intead, we have offered recordings of any of our 2021 talks to members of 2022 that you may have missed. A complete list of the talks available can be found in the newsletter.
Looking forward to seeing you online next Thursday evening,
Warm regards
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We have the pleasure of hosting Prof. Linda Richter at our next meeting. Her talk, titled “Inside the Nurturing Care Framework”, will trace the origins of the framework in basic developmental science and its evolution to becoming a global framework for children and adolescents.
Date: 17 March 2022 Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation The talk is free for members: Please confirm via email to receive the link Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com. Please find our newsletter attached for current IMH news and advocacy position on the Rights of Infants during Wartime as the world faces yet another crisis that will undoubtedly have long-term consequences for the most vulnerable.
Warm regards
WCAIMH Committee
WCAIMH February 2022 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, The WCAIMH Committee would like to wish everyone a happy new year and we look forward to connecting together through our monthly online talks. We hope that as the pandemic settles that there will be renewed opportunities to meet in person. We are currently exploring a coffee/networking morning and would appreciate an indication of your interest and preferences by completing this quick survey: https://forms.gle/GSbHCY5yuWbsKhWs8 https://forms.gle/GSbHCY5yuWbsKhWs8.
Information for joining or renewing your membership for 2022 are as follows:
1. Email your indication to join as a new member or renewal to wcaimhza@gmail.com.
2. Early bird payment is R325 for a year's subscription to 10 monthly talks which are scheduled for the third Thursday of the month (February - November) due by 31 March 2022. Joining thereafter will remain at R375. All membership payments go towards speaker honorariums and WCAIMH running costs, committee members serve as volunteers.
Banking details for payment: Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch
Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001Please use your name and surname as a reference 3. Please email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com.
February meeting:
We are very excited to welcome Mush Perrins as our February speaker on the topic “Exploring the use of play in health promotion: Perspectives originating from the continent of Africa”. Mush Perrins’ fascination with children and learning has been life-long. She worked for 18 years in government, 14+ years at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. Mush now runs her comprehensive paediatric private practice from home. She was a long-time part-time lecturer/clinical supervisor for UCT’s O.T. Department, she has presented papers on occupational therapy at international and national congresses, and has presented many paediatric courses in South Africa as well as a few in neighbouring countries.
Date: 17 February 2022
Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation Cost: The session is free for members who will receive the link to the meeting via email. Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60 (banking details as above). At the November AGM, the committee also indicated that we would welcome your feedback about the functioning of the association. We are especially interested to hear whether there are areas in which we can improve as well as any additional suggestions. We would sincerely appreciate your feedback, which you can provide using the following link https://forms.gle/n52FCuibi4ucRhiJ8.
Attached is our monthly newsletter providing more details about our February talk and details about upcoming Infant Mental Health lecture series through the partnership of Infant and Early Mental Health Promotion (IEMHP) at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto Canada, The World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) and Tampere University. The web-based series will provide insight into the foundational science of infant and early mental health, the importance of promotion and prevention policies and strategies, evidence-based interventions, and treatment approaches.
Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting,
WCAIMH Committee
WCAIMH November 2021 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We are drawing near the end of another year of stimulating talks and interactive online sessions. We are grateful for the continued participation and support, and look forward to what the new year brings.
To open our final meeting of the year Dr. Elmarie Malek will provide a brief overview of the initiatives in the public sector to promote infant mental health. Dr. Malek is the Clinical Head of General Paediatric and Neonatal Specialist Services, Paediatrics and Child Health at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital and a longtime champion of infant mental health. We look forward to this informative session. Following this will be our AGM, if there are any matters that you would like us to put on the agenda for discussion or voting, please let us know via email. Date: 18 November 2021 Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation The session is free Zoom links will be sent to members, for non-members who would like to join the meeting please let us know via email.
Given that our meetings have been online, we would like to kindly request that those of you who would like a CPD certificate for the talks you attended to kindly send an email to wcaimhza@gmail.com with your HPCSA registration number and month of the talk you attended. CPD certificates will be issued as soon as they become available.
Above is our monthly newsletter that brings you IMH related news and resources from around the world. We are also including this month the SAPC membership newsletter for your interest.
Wishing you all well,
WCAIMH Committee signing off for 2021
WCAIMH October 2021 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We have the privilege of welcoming Brenda Cowley as our guest speaker at our October meeting. The title of her talk will be “The relational impact of fathers on Infant Mental Health” and we look forward to hearing more about her important work focussed on the critical role that fathers play in promoting the development of infant mental health. Brenda Cowley is an experienced educational psychologist, with an MPhil degree in Infant Mental Health, which she obtained cum laude. She currently works with caregivers and their infants or toddlers in her private practice. Brenda has a special interest in the crucial role that fathers can play in enhancing the healthy development of their infants.Date: 21 September 2021 Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation The session is free for members who will receive the link to the meeting via email. Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com We would like to kindly request that you do an EFT, and not a bank deposit. Contact us if you cannot do an EFT and we can make alternative arrangements.Please find attached our monthly newsletter for the month of October, which happens to Mental Health Awareness Month! In this month's newsletter we highlight some resources and agencies who champion the needs of infants.
We look forward to seeing you online next week, and closing this year in November for our last meeting.
Warm regards,
WCAIMH Committee WCAIMH September 2021 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We look forward to having you join our next monthly online meeting in which Dr Siobhán Sweeney, a long-time WCAIMH member will be presenting findings from her PhD study. Her talk is titled: The 'good mother' construct: Informing parent-infant interventions in South Africa. Siobhán will present findings from her psychosocial study which investigates the maternal subjectivities of mothers - living in scarcely-resourced Cape Town communities in South Africa - returning to work after maternity leave.
Please join us via zoom on Thursday, 16 September 2021 at 7pm. The talk is free to members and the link will be sent to you directly by 15 September. We encourage non-members to join for a fee of R60. Please email your confirmation of attendance and proof of payment to us in order to receive the zoom link.
Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch
Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com. Attached is our newsletter with more details about the talk, our exciting member feature on Mush Perrins and details to upcoming events.
Wishing you all well and looking forward to seeing you online!
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We hope that you are all well in this midst of the third wave of the pandemic that our country faces right now. It seems to be a trying time for so many people. We hope that with increased vaccinations there will be relief for many of us and a renewed sense of hope that this too shall pass.
We look forward to bringing you an online talk by Kerry Brown, Occupational Therapist, who currently works in Neurodisability with Private & International Patients at Great Ormond Street Childrens’ Hospital (GOSH), UK. Her talk is titled “Will I hurt him? هل أؤذيه إذا...؟” and captures how occupational therapy plays a role in supporting fathers to develop intimate and practical relationships with their medically complex children.
Date: 19 August 2021
Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation The session is free for members who will receive the link to the meeting via email. Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Please find banking details in the newsletter attached. This month's newsletter features Tanja Smuts, Clinical Psychologist, who shares more about herself and the work she does in both the private and public sector. We also bring you information on the Susan Maiello Workshop Series hosted online by Ububele as well as the 1st Marcé Africa Maternal Mental Health Conference. Happy reading!
Looking forward to seeing you online,
WCAIMH Committee
Dear members and friends of WCAIMH, As South Africa is thrust into another wave of the Covid-19 pandemic we are aware that for many of you this has been a time of facing illness and personal loss. With new lockdown limitations and increased caution in seeing friends and family it may be a particularly isolating time for many. We hope that each of you is supported and held and can find comfort despite the fragility that surrounds us currently. It is in the spirit of connection that for the July meeting the WCAIMH Committee have decided to change the format of our meeting. Covid-19 has allowed, for the first time in the history of WAIMH, for the biennial conference to be available online. This has given professionals from across the world access to Plenary Presentations, Symposiums, Workshops and Poster Presentations by leading experts in the field of Infant Mental Health. Many of you may have had the opportunity to register and begin to soak in the wealth of information that is now available with the click of a button. We also recognize that as many of us have begun to enjoy access to the talks from the conference what has been missed is the rich discussion amongst colleagues and friends, debating ideas and hashing out cutting edge discoveries. We have therefore selected three stimulating talks from the WAIMH conference to focus on at the July meeting. There will be a brief synopsis of each talk and an opportunity to engage in discussion about the topic. Those who were able to register for the conference, we would like to invite you to view these sessions before our July meeting so that we can come together to discuss the ideas presented and begin a conversation that would otherwise be missed while watching them in isolation. For those of you who do not have access to the talks we encourage you to attend our July meeting anyway as there will be a synopsis of the talks on offer and you will surely be enriched by the discussion. There is still an opportunity to register for the WAIMH Conference and have access to all the talks until December 2021. If you still wish to do so please click here. The format for the July Meeting is as follows: Talk 1: “Babies born into stories” keynote address delivered by Helen Milroy at the opening of the WAIMH conference. Synopsis and discussion lead: Jenny Perkel Date: 15 July 2021 The session is free for members who will receive the link to the meeting via email. Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com We would like to kindly request that you do an EFT, and not a bank deposit. Contact us if you cannot do an EFT and we can make alternative arrangements. Please find attached our July newsletter for an important notice regarding POPIA. Please reply to wcaimhza@gmail.com informing us if you wish to STOP receiving monthly newsletters or any further communication from WCAIMH. If we do not receive communication to remove your email from our database we infer consent to remain on the WCAIMH database. In July we feature The Parent Centre's Mandela Day Initiave! There is a call for much needed baby items for moms and babies who are part of the Parent Infant Programme. Details about the items needed can be found in the newsletter. If you have any questions or want to get involved, you can DONATE here: https://bit.ly/3qPGJna (ref: Mandela Day). You may also email parentinfant@theparentcentre.org.za or call 021 762 0116 for drop off details of items listed. This month's newsletter also calls for participation in research. Further details are described on page 4 or can be found at : https://sunsurveys.sun.ac.za/surveys/covid-19-impacting-perinatal-mental-health-service-delivery-in-the-community
We hope you stay warm, and safe! Regards WCAIMH Committee Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We look forward to welcoming our next speaker, Professor Katherine Bain who will be our speaker on Thursday 17 June at 19.00 via Zoom. Her talk is titled: “A person’s a person, no matter how small”: The challenge to prioritize infant mental health in the national health system.
Despite clear evidence that infant mental health intervention is imperative, mental health services for infants and their caregivers in South Africa remain under-prioritised, under-funded, and inaccessible to most populations. The paper “The challenge to prioritise infant mental health in South Africa” proposes some potential explanations for this, exploring both practical constraints and possible resistances within the currents of our collective unconscious. The talk hopes to open some discussion around the proposed challenges in South Africa and possible solutions.
We are trying to streamline our communication with members and therefore WCAIMH Members will automatically receive the link before the talk, if you do not receive it by Wednesday afternoon, please alert us via email. For those who are not WCAIMH members, you can attend the talk for a fee of R60. Please confirm and send your proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com.
The banking details are as follows:
Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch
Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com We would like to kindly request that you do an EFT, and not a bank deposit. Contact us if you cannot do an EFT and we can make alternative arrangements.
We are excited to feature Faye Taylor this month in our member feature section of our newsletter. Please find these details and other important news from the IMH world in the newsletter attached. We look forward to welcoming you all to the meeting next week. Warm regards Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We look forward to welcoming our next speaker, Dr Nola Chambers who will present her talk, “Early detection and early intervention for young children with autism in low resource settings in South Africa” on Thursday 20 May 2021 at 19.00 via Zoom.
To improve services and outcomes for young children with autism in South Africa, we need to focus both on raising awareness of the early signs of autism in young South African children, as well as build capacity for providers to implement sustainable evidence-based interventions appropriate for younger children. In this presentation, Dr Chambers will cover principles of early detection, along with practical examples of the early signs of autism in young South African children using research video archival material. She will also briefly cover principles of evidence-based early intervention, along with a description of an ongoing study designed to build capacity of providers in autism non-profit organisations in South Africa using web-based training and supervision strategies.
We are trying to streamline our communication with members and therefore WCAIMH Members will automatically receive the link before the talk, if you do not receive it by Wednesday afternoon, please alert us via email. For those who are not WCAIMH members, you can attend the talk for a fee of R60. Please confirm and send your proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com. The banking details are as follows:
Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch
Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com We would like to kindly request that you do an EFT, and not a bank deposit. Contact us if you cannot do an EFT and we can make alternative arrangements.:
We are excited to feature Jenny Perkel this month in our member feature section of our newsletter. Please find these details and other important news from the IMH world in the newsletter attached. We look forward to welcoming you all to the meeting next week. Warm regards WCAIMH Committee Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We have the pleasure in having our Chair, Dr Juané Voges speak for us this month. Juané’s talk is titled “Exploring the parental mentalizing capacity of mothers with peripartum psychosis”. The talk will be based on the findings from her recently completed PhD study which aimed to examine the parental reflective functioning of women who experienced peripartum psychosis and their infants.
Juané is a senior clinical psychologist at Stikland Hospital and lecturer in Psychiatry at Stellenbosch University. Since completing her psychology studies, she has worked in community settings before moving to Ireland where she worked in a child and family unit. Her interest in infant mental health was sparked after attending Ireland's first National Infant Mental Health Conference in Cork in November 2007. Since returning to South Africa, her interest in the impact of maternal psychiatric difficulties on early attachment relationships inspired her to become involved with research on maternal mental health and she was part of the Parenting from the Inside Out project. Date: 15 April 2021 Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation The talk is free for members: Please confirm via email to receive the link. Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Please confirm via email to receive the link. Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com Please find attached this month's newsletter for information, updates and our new member feature section in which we highlight Dr. Sweeney.
Warm regards,
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH,
We were pleased at the interest shown at our last talk by Dr Dana Shai on Parental Embodied Mentalizing Assessment (PEMA). PEMA is a 12-point tool used to assess non-verbal risk and protective factors in parent-infant (0-2) dyads. It is based on over a decade of empirical research in which PEM has been found to be associated with parental mental health and predict infant’s security of attachment, behaviour problems, and cognitive functioning in infancy and childhood. We have therefore compiled a survey for our members to gauge the interest in attending the PEMA training.
We would like to request that you take a few minutes to complete the survey found in the link below.
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We are very excited to have Dr Dana Shai as our speaker for this month. Dr Shai's talk is entitled: Parental Embodied Mentalizing (PEM): Keeping Baby in Mind and Body. In this presentation, Dr. Shai will provide an introduction to mentalizing (keeping mind-in-mind) and how the impact of Covid-19 has contributed to parenting stress and effected parental mentalizing capacity. She will give an overview of Parental Embodied Mentalizing Assessment (PEMA™), as a lens into non-verbal risk and protective factors in parent-infant dyads. Dr. Shai will introduce clinical cases of supporting parents during the pandemic using PEMA.
The details of our March meeting follows – please take note of our earlier starting time: Date: 18 March 2021 Time: 6.30pm Platform: Zoom invitation The talk is free for members: Please confirm via email to receive the link Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com We would like to kindly request that you do an EFT, and not a bank deposit. Contact us if you cannot do an EFT and we can make alternative arrangements. Please check out our exciting new feature in this month's newsletter on showcasing our members. This month we are proud to showcase Jaqui Couper.
The WAIMH 2021 conference will be held from 22 – 26 June 2021 and will be a Hybrid Congress – a blend of in-person in Brisbane, Australia and virtual on-line (both interactive and on-demand). As a consequence of COVID-19 and restrictions on travel, it is likely that only Australian residents and possibly travellers from New Zealand will be able to attend in-person. Those unable to travel can participate in WAIMH 2021 virtually (on-line) from your home or office. The Hybrid format of WAIMH 2021 creates an opportunity for even more people to participate than before. We encourage those who may not be able to attend WAIMH 2021 in person, to consider registration as a virtual attendee. The only difference is how the program will be offered, to ensure that WAIMH 2021 Hybrid will be a truly global Congress, with full participation in multiple time zones.
The Scientific Program for WAIMH 2021 will be broken down into three (3) opportunities: Live to the World, Live in Brisbane and On-demand. For more details of what each of these 3 opportunities entail, visit https://www.waimh2020.org/hybrid.php The WAIMH 2021 five-day program has a live component which has been designed to allow participants from all around the world access to view and participate in a variety of live sessions. A reminder that South African attendees have been granted the opportunity to register under the Low & Low Middle Income Countries category, and that virtual registration is $270 AUS. Benefits of attending WAIMH 2021, for Virtual Delegates Virtual participants of WAIMH 2021 will receive: • Open Access to live WAIMH presentations during 22 June – 26 June 2021. • Access to the virtual conference portal starting 1 day before the Congress. Log in and out at your convenience. • Access to 100% of the scientific program. In comparison, the average amount of sessions an in-person delegate would normally be able to attend is approximately 3 - 5 sessions/hr, resulting in an average of only 8% of the scientific program. • Access to on-demand content post-event. The WAIMH 2021 on-line library of content will be available up until to the end of September 2021. This allows ample time to view every session presented at WAIMH 2021 and re-watch any sessions. • Attendees can chat with internal and external colleagues continually during live stream presentations to share insights and observations relevant to their research. • Stream live or watch content on-demand when it fits into your schedule and learn at your own pace, in your own style. • On-line engagement opportunities with representatives from sponsoring and exhibiting organisations. • Ability to schedule meetings and connect with other WAIMH 2021 attendees located anywhere around the globe. Looking forward to welcoming you all to our online meeting next week.
Warm regards
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We are excited to announce this month we have an international speaker joining us. Dr. Dana Shai will be presenting a talk entitled Parental Embodied Mentalizing (PEM): Keeping Baby in Mind and Body.
Dana Shai, Ph.D., is a psychologist and a faculty member at the Academic College Tel Aviv Yaffo, Israel, and the founding director of the Study of Early Emotional Development (SEED) Center. Dr. Shai has conducted extensive research on the concept of Parental Embodied Mentalizing, published widely and has trained practitioners in the use of PEMA across the globe. For more information about Dana’s work, please visit https://www.pemworks.org/
The details of our March meeting are as follows:
Date: 18 March 2021 Time: 6.30pm Platform: Zoom invitation PLEASE NOTE THE TIME CHANGE FOR THIS MONTHS MEETING The talk is free for WCAIMH members: Please confirm via email to receive the link Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com We would like to kindly request that you do an EFT, and not a bank deposit. Contact us if you cannot do an EFT and we can make alternative arrangements.
Please feel free to disseminate the invitation to the talk.
Our regular newsletter will follow in the upcoming days.
Warm regards,
WCAIMH Committee
WCAIMH February 2021 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, The Committee wishes you all a new year filled with new hopes and renewed energy. We are looking forward to bringing our members and friends interesting talks and ongoing support and shared knowledge in the field of Infant Mental Health this year.
Our first talk for the year on 18 February 2021 via Zoom will be from author and journalist Lauren Shapiro. Lauren’s talk, titled “PND: What it’s really like for your patients and what you can do to help them” will be a first-hand account of her lived experience of PND. She will provide insights into the “do’s and don’ts” of treating parents with PND and the value of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Please find more details about Lauren and the talk in this month's newsletter.
The talk is free for members, and R60 for non-members. Please confirm your attendance by Tuesday, 16 February in order to receive the zoom link
We would like to remind members that membership renewal for the year is now due. Membership is R325 if paid before 31 March 2021. This will grant you access to 10 talks throughout the year, as well as our monthly newsletter. To become a member use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com.
Banking information is as follows: Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 This year we will introduce an exciting feature to the newsletter in which we aim to showcase the work and expertise of one of our members each month.
Looking forward to seeing you all online for the next meeting!
Warm regards,
WCAIMH Committee
WCAIMH November 2020 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, As 2020 is rapidly drawing to a close the WCAIMH Committee would like to thank you all for your support and continuous engagement with the association.
As Covid-19 hit, the Committee had to make the decision to move our monthly meetings online. We are happy to report that the talks have been well attended, and moving online has allowed us to have a wider selection of speakers who have so generously contributed their time.
We will expand on our reflections about this year at our AGM which takes place next Thursday evening, 19 November 2020 at 7pm. The meeting is free and open to all - even those who are non-members. We would like to make a heartfelt plea for attendance, so that the work and engagement of the association can continue. We so value the input of our members and all those who are interested in infant mental health.
Unfortunately there were no volunteers for case material for our proposed talk on Race in Parent Infant Psychotherapy. The committee, along with our proposed speaker Tessa Baradon decided it would be best to put the talk on hold for next year when there can be more engagement. For this month we will continue with our AGM and have a special contribution from the Parent Centre. We look forward to seeing you online.
Please confirm your attendance via email to receive the link.
Please find attached our newsletter for this month, as well as details for the IPCP Infant Observation Course.
Wishing you all well and signing off for this year.
WCAIMH Committee 2020
Salisha, Kirsty, Barbara and Juané
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, Please see below two interesting upcoming talks, the first Thinking Here and Now Conversations with Innovators in Psychotherapy Aner Govrin and Sharon Ziv-Beiman in conversation with Beatrice Beebe "Weaving together infant research and adult treatment" and the second a FREE GAIMH hosted webinar on Infant and Maternal Mental Health. Thinking Here and Now "Weaving together infant research and adult treatment". Sunday, 25.10.20, 7:30pm – 9:15pm (Israel Time; UTC+2) We invite you to the second" Here and Now- Conversations with innovators in psychotherapy" meeting with infant researcher and psychoanalyst Beatrice Beebe. The conversation will focus on Beebe's discoveries about early mother interactions, the unique research methods she has developed, and the implications of her research findings on psychoanalysis with adults. The impact of infant research on adult treatment will be demonstrated through films and clinical examples. Beatrice Beebe is a world-renowned clinical psychologist whose research focuses on nonverbal interactions between parents and babies and the effect of these interactions on adult care. Throughout her many years of research, Beebe demonstrates that the development of adult patients and the development studied in infant research are not two different worlds. She argues that the roots of all our relationships must be found in communication between parents and the baby, which affects the way we interact in adult life. She has studied the vital function of dyadic interaction in the early structure of experience. Beebe believes that the significant influence of these interactions has been neglected by psychoanalysis. In her opinion, infant research is most fruitful to psychoanalysis because the fundamental processes of exchange at the nonverbal level remain so similar across the life span. As the therapist and the patient interact, their bodies respond and affect each other, creating a deep and unconscious dynamic. Empirical infant research explores patterns of interaction that help clinicians to better understand the nonverbal processes that are responsible for the usual verbal give and take. Especially with "difficult to treat" patients, this attention to the interactive process itself analogs to frame-by-frame analysis significantly influences therapeutic power. One of Beebe's famous case study was the case of Dolores. Dolores suffered early maternal loss and trauma. Too fearful, withdrawn, and dissociated, she nevertheless longed for attachment. But she could not look at Beebe, her face was dampened, and she was often silent. Beebe made an unusual intervention, derived from her background with videotape microanalysis of mother-infant interactions. She took a series of videos of Dolores and her together, and of Beebe's face only while I interacted with her. On the effect that this unusual intervention had on Dolores, Beebe writes: "Because she did not look at me at this time, seeing my face seeing her while she watched the videotape and hearing my sounds responding to her, heightened her experience of my response and her own visceral experience: she came to recognize herself in my face-recognizing her." Beatrice Beebe, Ph.D. is a Clinical Professor of Psychology (in Psychiatry), College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute. She directs a basic research lab on mother-infant communication. She is faculty at several psychoanalytic institutes, and she has a private practice for adults and mother-infant pairs. She is the author or co-author of 6 books. The most recent is The mother-infant interaction picture book: Origins of attachment (Beebe, Cohen & Lachman, Norton, 2016). For a decade, she directed a pro bono primary prevention project for mothers who were pregnant and widowed on 9-11 (Beebe, Cohen, Sossin, & Markese, Eds., Mothers, infants, and young children of September 11, 2001: A primary prevention project, 2012). A documentary film about her research is available (website of the Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing [PEPweb], Mother-Infant Communication: The Research of Dr. Beatrice Beebe, by Karen Dougherty, 2016). ***
WCAIMH October 2020 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, Thank you all for your continued support in joining the online meetings. This month our meeting is scheduled for Thursday 22 October.
We have the pleasure in having Dr Anusha Lachman, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Tygerberg hospital in Cape Town speak for us. She is co-convenor of the MPhil IMH degree at Stellenbosch University. Anusha is also the recipient of the prestigious Hamilton Naki Clinical Fellowship and is in her 3rd. year of her PhD study exploring the Shared Pleasure Paradigm as a screening tool for at-risk babies and their mothers with Mental Illness in South Africa. She serves as the Secretary of the board of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) and on the Exco of the African Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (AACAMH).
Anusha will present a paper entitled “Shared Pleasure in the time of COVID 19 – the importance of the shared smile for babies in a world of masked faces”. It has recently been submitted to the WAIMH online Journal Perspectives and our group will have the pleasure of hearing it first.
Date: 22 October 2020
Time: 7pm Platform: Zoom invitation The talk is free for members: Please confirm via email to receive the link Non-members are welcome to join at a cost of R60. Account name: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 051001 Please use your name and surname as a reference and email proof of payment to wcaimhza@gmail.com We would like to kindly request that you do an EFT, and not a bank deposit. Contact us if you cannot do an EFT and we can make alternative arrangements. There have been ongoing conversations amongst members and within the WCAIMH committee regarding deeper conversations and a desire for a reflective space in thinking about race and cultural diversity in parent infant psychotherapy. Tessa Baradon will join our meeting on 19 November in order to facilitate discussion and provide insights using case material in which race has been a particularly poignant part of the process, or the clinician’s thinking.
Please find attached our newsletter for more information and news. Also attached is the GAIMH PND campaign.
Looking forward to seeing you all online.
Warm wishes,
WCAIMH committee
WCAIMH September 2020 Newsletter Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, We are very excited to have the pleasure of hosting an international speaker this month for our virtual meeting. Hetty Jonker, an infant mental health specialist and play and family psychotherapist will be joining us from the Netherlands. Hetty runs a private practice and also does freelance work providing psychotherapy in mental health institutions, and is also a teacher and supervisor. Her previous experience include working in a child psychiatric center and managing a day treatment center for young children and their parents. Hetty is a narrative family therapist with a special interest in new ways of studying young children in their families. From this perspective, she will be presenting the infant and early childhood stories of families where there is parental somatic illness. Her talk is titled: “Creating embodied stories: babies and toddlers in families with a chronically ill parent”. In Hetty’s own words: “Parents come to my practice asking help for their problems with an infant, toddler or pre-schooler, while one of the parents suffers from a disease. Sometimes they link the behavior of the child to the parental illness, but most of the time they didn’t mention the illness at all in the beginning”. The talk will be held on Thursday, 17 September 2020 at 7pm via Zoom. You will need to confirm your attendance in order to receive the link. The talk is free for members and R60 for non-members. We kindly request that you pay via EFT and not bank deposit. If this is not possible, please be in touch so we can make an alternative arrangement. Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, Thank you to all who joined us last month to hear Katharine Frost speak on The Traumatized Infant in our first virtual meeting. The talk is still available to members free of charge at your request or to non-members for a cost of R60.
We are excited to bring you another virtual meeting on the 19th of August. Our speaker for this month is Hilary McLea, a grief and trauma counsellor with a master’s degree in social work. During this time of unanticipated change and unprecedented isolation, individuals, families and infants have been experiencing loss on a number of levels. Hilary’s talk will focus on the impact of loss on infants, young children, and their families. Attached is the newsletter for more details. Please remember to confirm your attendance in order to receive the link for the talk.
We have also included information on upcoming webinars happening around the country, of note is a live webinar by The Centre for Group Analytic Studies (CGAS Cape Town) on Zoom by renowned group analyst, Dick Blackwell, on Saturday 15th August 11.00-12.30. Dick will be presenting ‘The tyranny of ‘normality’ in the post-colonial context’.
Wishing you all well,
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH We are excited to announce the return of our monthly talk now in an online format. We missed out on Katharine's Frost talk in March, and she has graciously agreed to do it for our July meeting on 16 July 2020 at 7pm in online format. She will describe an ongoing case of a mother and baby that has been seen at Ububele since 2018. The case in itself is one characterised by trauma, domestic violence and much complexity. The case will also allow for a window into the ‘basket’ of services that is provided by Ububele which consists of multiple Infant Mental health interventions offered in various settings within Alexandra - from NBO (Newborn Behavioral Observations) at clinics and hospitals to home visits and play groups.
Please take note of the following important information:
-Talks for members of WCAIMH are free. If you wish to become a member please get in touch and we will guide you through the process.
-Members please confirm your attendance on this email address by 13 July 2020 - wcaimhza@gmail.com in order to receive the link.
-For non-members who wish to attend the talk there is a R60 fee, payable before 13 July, please forward POP to wcaimhza@gmail.com to receive the link.
-Banking details: WCAIMH Standard Bank, Rondebosch, Account number: 274916401, Branch code: 05100
We hope that we will be able to continue our monthly talks in this way until we can all meet again safely in person.
The WCAIM Committee has been hard at work sourcing information and resources pertaining to working with infants and their families in the time of Covid-19 through the monthly newsletters and in this months issue we would like to raise awareness of race and racial discrimination in ways we can begin to think about them in our work with infants and their families. Also look out for news from WAIMH, we pay special tribute to Prof Astrid Berg who was announced as President-Elect of WAIMH and bring you detailed information on the WAIMH webinar series. We hope that you find the information and resources valuable.
In order to make getting in touch smoother - you can now email wcaimhza@gmail.com for any queries, information and feedback.
Wishing you well and hoping to see you online,
WCAIMH Committee
Dear Members and Friends of WCAIMH, In light of President Ramaphosa’s address last night on declaring Covid-19 a National Disaster, our WCAIMH meeting scheduled for 17 March 2020 at DCAP on The Traumatized Infant will be cancelled. We feel strongly that at this time, contact should be limited to necessary engagements only and we want to make every effort to preserve the health of our members and guests. Our guest speaker, Katharine Frost has highlighted other times in the year that she will be visiting Cape Town and we hope that a talk can be arranged for a later date. The committee will be updating you all on upcoming meetings as new information unfolds. Please be in contact with us for any questions or comments. Wishing you all well. WCAIMH Committee WCAIMH February 2020 Newsletter WCAIMH November 2019 Newsletter WCAIMH October 2019 Newsletter WCAIMH September 2019 Newsletter
Relevant Documents: WCAIMH February 2019 Newsletter Relevant Documents: WCAIMH November 2018 Newsletter Relevant Documents: WCAIMH October 2018 Newsletter WCAIMH September 2018 Newsletter Relevant Documents: Relevant Documents:
Relevant Documents:
Dear all There have been some security issues at our venue at DCAP. If you are intending to attend the meeting tomorrow with Jean Luyt (Cross cultural adoption) and would like to park inside the premises, can you please send an email to Caroline This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or myself with your name and car registration number before 2pm on 21st June. For those who do not manage to send their car registration numbers by 2 pm, you can park outside the DCAP premises in Liesbeek road Thank you for your understanding. This arrangement is an inconvenience to all so we hope that you can be patient with this attempt to keep the people who attend meetings at DCAP premises safe. Kind regards Jacqui Couper Relevant Documents: Relevant Documents:
WCAIMH February 2018 Newsletter
INFANT OBSERVATION SEMINAR STARTING END OF JANUARY 2018 A 2 year infant Observation seminar will be facilitated in Cape Town starting end of January 2018. Infant Observation involves weekly visits to a family for two years with the intention of observing the development of the infant and his/her relationships from birth to 2 years of age from a psychoanalytic perspective. Observations are written up and discussed in weekly seminars with the seminar leader over the 2 year period. There will be approximately 33 seminars a year. There are 4 - 5 participants in the group. Cost: R200 per seminar. All seminars are paid for - whether attended or not. Seminar leader: Carol Cheesman, Clinical Psychologist If you are interested in participating please contact Carol on 079 427 5217. I would like to meet with interested participants at 1 pm at 19 Alma Road on Friday 8 December to discuss general issues and answer questions about the process. If you cant make this meeting phone me and we will make another arrangement. In 2018 the seminars will take place in Kenilworth , on Wednesdays from 8.30 am to 9.45 am. Participants find their own families to observe - and you need to start looking for a family as soon as possible if you want to join the seminar. WCAIMH October 2017 Newsletter WCAIMH September 2017 Newsletter WCAIMH May 2017 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting WCAIMH March 2017 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting WCAIMH January 2017 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting WCAIMH November 2016 Newsletter, Notice of Upcoming Meeting and AGM ACPP Couple Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Neuroscience of Birth workshop - Invitation Neuroscience of Birth workshop - Programme 2017 OCTOBER NEWSLETTER AND NOTICE OF NO MEETING THIS MONTH Our next meeting will be in NOVEMBER- our AGM on THURSDAY 19 November, 2016 at 7:30pm at the Out-patient Unit of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch. After a four year term serving you on the committee, we are all stepping down to allow for new leadership. We have received some nominations for the post of Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer, but would welcome more. Please nominate candidates, arrange for a fellow (Paid Up) member to second, and send your nominations by email to us urgently. Previous Meeting- Nick Davies on the Masculine in Early Paternity– Nick challenged traditional gender stereotypes and defined the masculine paternal function as essential for baby, but did not link the function to being played exclusively by a man. The Otherness and later separation from Mother are vital to baby’s health and his stance is encouraging in the light of the many children who are raised without fathers, but still need masculine input. Thanks to Nick for travelling to us and clearly introducing us to Otherness. September Workshop: Alessandra Piontelli’spresentation provided a window into what is hidden and Professor Cora Smith did not disappoint! For those that chose to commit their time, it was a richly informative, stimulating and entertaining morning. Our thanks to the committee for their dedication in organizing the event. Jeanine Beukes , Chairperson WCAIMH This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it NOTICE OF MEETING AND WORKSHOP Our next meeting will be held on THURSDAY 15 September 2016 at 7:30pm at the Out-patient Unit of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch. NICK DAVIES- EARLY PATERNITY: Being Male, Masculine and Third Specially flying down from Johannesburg, Nick, a lecturer at Wits University explores changing paternal functioning.
Exciting news! MPhil in Infant Mental Health is now up and ready to go. Please click here for more details.
ETHICS WORKSHOPDate: 17th September 2016 Time: 08h30 for registration Promptly at 09h00–13h00 (tea and muffins served) Venue: UCT Lung Institute Conference Centre George Street Mowbray (Plenty of safe parking) ABOUT THE PRESENTERS: Alessandra Piontelli, a renowned international speaker based at the University of Milan, will challenge a number of popular notions about foetal life in her engaging voice-over PowerPoint presentation. Cora Smith, the Chief Psychologist at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital and who is part of the University of the Witwatersrand, will look at the ethical dilemmas of attachment and custodial rights in baby swop cases. Her lively case presentation will look at the complex task of balancing what is in the best interest of the children and their respective parents. This particular case was further complicated by various parental conflicts and custody issues, in addition to parental cultural beliefs.
WCAIMH August 2016 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting WCAIMH Ethics Workshop for SAPC - September 2016 Click here for more information WCAIMH July 2016 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting
Our next meeting will be held on THURSDAY 21 July, 2016 at 7:30pm at the Out-patient Unit of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch.
Prof Berg is developing a Master’s Program in Infant Mental Health at the University of Stellenbosch.
A Few Admin Matters: The yearly subscription is R350. All fees due now. WCAIMH June 2016 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting This month we present Feedback from the International Gathering of Infant Mental Health Professionals in Prague. WCAIMH May 2016 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting WCAIMH April 2016 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting WCAIMH March 2016 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting Course - Introduction to parent infant psychotherapy
Dear Colleagues Infant Attachment Work in the Communities of Cape Town
Thanks to funding from the Western Cape Association of Infant Mental Health, it has been possible to provide 8 groups of mothers with babies or toddlers living in shelters with access to the Baby Bonding Programme. This programme was developed by Debi Maskell-Graham of big toes little toes, a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England. It is a gentle and playful evidence-based approach to strengthen attachment relationships between parents/carers and their children. Secure attachment in infancy and early childhood, is strongly associated with improved emotional, social, intellectual and behavioural outcomes for children as well as mediating the impact of trauma and deprivation.
FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER AND NOTICE OF MEETING
Our next meeting will be held on THURSDAY 18 February 1, 2016 at 7:30pm at the Out-patient Unit of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch.
THE BRIDGE OF PLAY WITH BABIES- A DELICATE AND DIVINE DANCE BY JOAN RAPHAEL-LEFF World famous author (many more than 150 publications) and amazing presenter, Joan now leads the Anna Freud Centre, London, in Psychoanalytic Research. Her career began in 1970 and Maternity and the newborn feature throughout her work. The last copies of Joan Raphael-Leff’s Book- Dark side of the Moon will be on sale for R200 each. To reserve, please pay R200 by EFT to our bank account and send proof to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Community: We are pleased to announce that we have awarded substantial financial contributions to 5 Community projects this year. However, Community infant-mental-health-related project proposals still welcome. Please get your proposals to us Babies and Beyond Magazine: We are again featured prominently in this March international publication. Our advertisement now features the myths about tantrums and 2 publications by WCAIMH members further advocate compassionate care for tiny tots.
Building up our resource base. Contributors to the resource base will be acknowledged and your contact details will be added to your selected article (or summary or excerpt thereof) so that there can be interaction around areas of interest. The information will be added to our webpage, www.infantmentalhealth.co.zaPlease send an e-mail to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
to give your input. Contributors will also be featured on our web page . A Few Admin Matters: The yearly subscription is R350. All fees due now. Early bird subscription R300 before March Non-member guest contribution is R50 (in a named envelope, please). Ad hoc guests are not eligible for CPD points. Account details: WCAIMH; Standard Bank, Rondebosch, Account no. 274916401. Branch code: 051001 Jeanine Beukes , Chairperson WCAIMH This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
WCAIMH February 2016 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting
WCAIMH January 2016 Newsletter - Luthando Prinsloo : A White Sangoma looks at Prams and Paternity Healthy attachment, easier separation WRITTEN BY JEANINE BEUKES M.A CLIN PSYCH • FROM ISSUE SEVEN: OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2015 PAGE(S) 44-45
Click the below link to access:
http://www.babysandbeyond.co.za/viewonline/222/health/healthy-attachment-easier-separation
JANUARY 2016
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!
The WCAIMH Committee wish you a Happy New Year.
2016's first meeting is : Thursday 730 pm 21st January .
A white Sangoma looks at Prams and Paternity
NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER AND NOTICE OF AGM WITH PRESENTATION Our next meeting will be held on THURSDAY 19 November at 7:30pm at the Out-patient Unit of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch.
This AGM promises to be a delicious treat, a celebration of all that has been achieved this year for babies. Mini mind- tastings of 5 gems that we were recently served at the GAIMH Gauteng Conference and new snippets from Blanche at Parent Centre and Caroline Sullivan of Baby Bonding. It’s a non voting year so will just have a brief financial feedback for AGM. Community infant-mental-health-related project proposals welcome. Please get your proposals for 2016 to us without further delay. Building up our resource base. Contributors to the resource base will be acknowledged and your contact details will be added to your selected article (or summary or exerpt thereof) so that there can be interaction around areas of interest. The information will be added to our webpage, www.infantmentalhealth.co.za Please send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to give your input. The yearly subscription is R350. Non-member guest contribution is R50 (in a named envelope, please). Ad hoc guests are not eligible for CPD points. Jeanine Beukes , Chairperson WCAIMH This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it WCAIMH - Thursday 19th November 7.30pm - Conference presentation feedback: Parent Centre and Baby Bonding presentations WCAIMH Commitee attends GAIMHSA Conference 2015
Attention for WCAIMH members attending the Gauteng Conference: GAIMH-SA Infant Mental Health Conference
Date: 30th and 31st of October 2015 PLEASE NOTE VENUE CHANGE: UBUBELE - No 1, Tenth Road, Kew, Johannesburg, South Africa
THURSDAY 15th October at 7:30pm Dear Fellow members- An urgent announcement and reminder for our forthcoming meeting on Thursday 15 October at Child and Family Unit at 7.30pm
Dr Kaija Puura, our special guest speaker from Tampere, Finland will address us on WCAIMH September 2015 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting September 2015 Newsletter and Notice of Meeting - PDF
GAIMH-SA conference Early Bird Registrations for the GAIMH-SA conference close on 29 August. For registration and programming information, visit www.gaimh.co.za
Seminar on the question of Egg and Sperm Donation Anonymity
Pretoria: 10 - 12 September 2015 Seminar Attachment and Programme E-mail from Assisted Reproduction Information and Support (ARISE). Gamete disclosure vs Secrecy speaker from Cambridge Center Family Studies
Date: 9 September 2015 Freeman and Galombik. disclosure decisions and child adjustment Owen and Galombok. Longitudinal study of Donor families in adolescence WCAIMH August 2015 Newsletter and Presentation by Dr Nils Bergman on "Sleep - What is it?" - neurological perspective There will be no meeting this Thursday the 16th July due to school vacation. Meeting to resume in August. Thursday 7.30pm June 18 meeting: Dr Zanda Jaquire : "Emotional problems accompanying surrogacy/egg and sperm donations" May newsletter and notice of cancellation of May meeting MGAIMH - With University of the Witwartersrand is hosting a multi-disciplinary two-day conference
Click for larger image GOLD Lactation Newsletter - Effects Of Breastfeeding on Sleep, Depression & Adversity
Image from Judy Davies From Discussion after tonight's 16th April 2015 talk: Please read and distribute the following paper:
Affiliated with the World Association for Infant Mental Health Available online : http://www.aaimhi.org/inewsfiles/controlled_crying.pdf
And a new book- Written by: Dilys Daws and Alexandra de Rementeria Title: Finding your way with your baby. The emotional life of parents and babies. Thursday 16th April 7.30pm Judy Davies presents "Is Saying NO helpful to young children?" Red Cross Child and Family Unit, Sawkins Rd, Rondebosch To access April_2015_Newsletter click here Conference: For information on the Gauteng Association for Infant Mental Health Conference Date: October 2015 click here for GAIMH_Conference_October_2015 information GAIMH - October 2015 Conference Provisional Program
Book Special: To see the WCAIMH April book_special click here
Thursday 19th March 7.30pm Dr Nicola Dugmore presents on Primitive Triggers Red Cross Child and Family Unit, Sawkins Rd, Rondebosch To access the March 2015 Newsletter click here Thursday 19 Feb at 7:30pm Prof Nancy Suchman (Yale University) on "Mothering from the inside out: supporting parenting mothers in recovery" Red Cross Child and Family Unit, Sawkins Rd, Rondebosch To access the February_2015_Newsletter click here WCAIMH EVENTS 2014 Our year ended with an AGM and icecream The WCAIMH donated money for their maternal home visiting community project in 2014 and we continue to donate towards this worthy project for 2015. A Few Admin Matters: The Early Bird annual subscription is R300(before 15 March) Please Eft promptly so the we can get off to a great start. Thereafter ,the yearly subscription is R350. Non-member guest contribution is R50 (in a named envelope, please). Ad hoc guests are not eligible for CPD points. Account details: WCAIMH; Standard Bank, Rondebosch, Account no. 274916401. Branch code: 051001.
Link to our website:www.infantmentalhealth.co.za– Any contributions for our website- articles or suggested books, would be appreciated. We welcome any input and suggestions.
Regards Jeanine Beukes ,Chairperson WCAIMH This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Summary of Events Presented by WCAIMH in 2014 Committee: Chair : Jeanine Beukes Secretary: Julia Noble Treasurer : Mush Perrins Feb Meeting 2014 :Mother Knows Best Marina Petropoulus, Louise Naude and Julia Noble opened our discussion on Mother Knows Best and prepared us to examine the whole context and symbolism of the story as well as giving us a child’s instinctive reaction to ‘Entangled” - The discussion ranged from Mother indeed knowing best and needing to trust her instincts in the care of her infant, to the need to guard against that shadow side that can undermine and erode the emerging youngster’s belief in herself- all in the guise of protecting our young. Then the very real need to safeguard children against greater dangers lurking in the impoverished areas of ‘ganglands’ March Meeting:The screening of WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS (An in depth study of 3 infants who cannot be managed or understood, and the way back) was well received after some technical gremlins in the system were resolved by our younger members .The discussion thereafter, where passion met with calm wisdom and experience ,was helpful- Again an affirmation that all disciplines are welcomed and that we can continue learning in this safe space April Meeting: Multiple prems - a mother's journey"Celeste Rushby (O.T) shared her personal journey through neonate intensive care with three premmies.(Multiple Prems) Her humbling and oft disempowering experience has led to greater awareness of the vulnerability and alienation that Moms’ of Premature infants face and she is continuing her work in support groups. Thanks to Celeste for a riveting and frankly emotional presentation. May Meeting:A Peek into PICU- The Workings of a Neurodevelopmental Parent Support Group .Kerry Brown presented a fascinating account of the application of a simple model of caring in the PICU- Neonatal support unit for mothers across cultures.Her work showed great initiative , passion and dedication and we are so proud that she is currently presenting her ideas internationally at the WAIMH conference in Edinburgh June Meeting:MELANCHOLY AND MURDEROUS MOTHERS’ : Prof Lou- Marie Kruger gave a fascinating and moving account of the anger underlying maternal depression . She gave poignant case material which we could all resonate with. While the sadness is regarded more sympathetically, rage needs to be seen and heard in a holding space to give the parent-child dyad a chance to recover. Our thanks to Lou –Marie for shining a light into this shameful underbelly of depression. August meeting: Reactive Attachment Disorder in Infants: Prof Astrid Berg showed us a disturbing DVD of 4 infants in a baby home in Russia. The subsequent trauma as shown in their Reaction Attachment Disorder’s , as a result of ‘revolving’ care from many care givers in an outwardly well run orphanage, was clearly and sadly evident .Our discomfort evoked much discussion on the need for media attention to infant’s needs for consistent one-on –one interaction and attunement. As a committee and organization we are committed to sharing this knowledge and welcome any input from members with ideas and\or connections to the media. Our thanks to Astrid for highlighting this crucial foundation stage and sharing her material with us. September Meeting:The impact of a first baby on the couple relationship.Shira Jankelson-Groll gave a thought provoking talk on "The impact of a first baby on the couple relationship".It was a great qualitative account of research conducted for her dissertation. She highlighted how relationships that were strong pre- baby tended to cope better and were more resilient post baby. Many of the healthier adaptors had a strong support group that had also included pre marital counseling. The discussion thereafter was open and frank ,and we as members were able to acknowledge on a personal and professional level that babies certainly often are a challenge to the existing couple and that change is difficult. Thanks to Shira for persisting with her topic despite reluctant subjects and sharing her work with us October Meeting:The sensory fit of the mother/father and the childAnnemarie Lombard introduced us to the world of the senses on both an experiential and informative level. It was an exceptional evening fascinating to all disciplines and specifically focused on how our preferred sensory modes, and those of baby, profoundly influence interaction between Mom and baby. Thanks to Annemarie for a memorable evening. Her book, “Sensory Intelligence: Why It Matters More Than IQ And EQ”, published by Metz Press in 2007, is available November 2014: AGM & The 1001 Critical Days: The Importance of the Period from conception to Age Two by Prof Astrid Berg
FEB 2014:WESTERN CAPE ASSOCIATION FOR INFANT MENTAL HEALTH CONTRIBUTION TO WAIMH SUMMARIZING OUR ACTIVITIES AND ASPIRATIONS: Dear Martin and Maree Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share our thoughts- Ongoing Activities and challenges in our Affiliate: Following the wonderful conference in Cape Town we were very aware of the degree of exhaustion that most carers of Moms and Babies (and some in the committee) were experiencing, so we focused our year on Nurturing the Nurturers- A sweet moment was when Judith Davies offered a bowl of sweeties around to all of us as we were discussing maternal bereavement and loss. Containing our carers has been the prime focus with meetings richly informative, yet the tone gentle and supportive .Diversity has been embraced with presentersand attendees at WCAIMH monthly meetings coming from a wider range of professional backgrounds. The subsequent current atmosphere that every-one has something of value to contribute, has resulted in a richer knowledge that is shared through the presentations and through the subsequent discussions and sharing of experiences. This knowledge has then also been taken to a wider range of maternal-infant/professional interfaces. Topics covered in our monthly meetings included: Nurturing the Baby by seeing the Mother-Improving child outcomes through maternal mental health interventions,presented by Dr Simone Honikman of the Peri-Natal Research Project(in its 10th year),A multidisciplinary panel discussion on Fussy Feeders was beautifully presented by Bea Wirz, Mush Perrins and Katherine Megaw, Mentalization-based parenting psychotherapy for at-risk parents caring for young children.”by Prof Suchman, The Grandmaternal Transference by Dr Nicola Dugmore,How can you both Love and Hate your baby?”- Addressing ambivalence in the parent-infant relationship. Presented by authors Greg Fried and Lisa Lazarus of “ The Book Of Jacob” fame, The Impact of Loss and Bereavement on Early Parenthood by Judith Davies followed byCross Cultural experience of loss as shared by the Parent Centre Our Official membership currently stands at 120 people but we have about 50 paid up members that are regularly attending in Cape Town. . The challenges faced are keeping the presentations of a high academic standard while allowing accessibility of knowledge to a mixed group of professionals. There is always a danger of losing the research/academic quality (with its impact on the community). We need to keep the group scientific yet grounded and practical too. Issues of governance and advocacy in our Affiliate– the governance is smoothly organised with a committee of 3 persons democratically elected for a 2 year term of office . Committees can stand for reelection should they wish too and if they have the memberships’ voted support. Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary are chosen following a voting system by the members. Our members are made up of approximately two-thirds longstanding and one third newer (joined in the last 1 or 2 years) members. The impact of the CapeTown conferencein terms of recent projects, connectedness across IMH workers : - Firstly our heartfelt congratulations at the smooth running of the CT 2012 conference. The technical support was of superb quality and presentations were easy to hear and see. I am very impressed by your BOP idea introducing speakers and their abbreviated ideas. It was difficult to make choices as to whom to attend in 2012 and the new speakers found it hard to have a voice. While the pre- conference workshops offered inspired people at grass roots level, it was generally felt by our current committee that the conference did not bring together the Cape Town IMH community in any noticeable way. Individual sponsorships empowered certain individuals and was of great encouragement to them but we as an organisation have not been greatly impacted by the input. Its early days yet and seeds planted will take a while to grow. We are aware of the need to monitor growth and to stand by with early growing pains. In this respect , the financial benefit of the conference has allowed the Cape Town branch to support a community project for the first time which has taken the form of an ongoing support for a Mothers’ support group in a disadvantaged community initiated by The Parent Centre. Members of the multi- disciplinary team have visited new and at- risk mothers at their homes on an ongoing basis and have used a great deal of initiative when faced with external challenges like flooding and issues of personal safety. We remain open to financially assisting other organisations that directly serve the community and will serve to contain and hold the carers. As always,the knowledge that you are not alone is what brings Hope-to these beleaguered mothers,to the carers,and finally,the committee in Cape Town. Hopes…and maybe critiques regarding WAIMH’s activities : It is so good to be part of a vibrant umbrella body like WAIMH. Armed with your recent provisional proposed Charter of Baby’s Rights, issues regarding withholding soothing have already been highlighted in our local Media- In both English and Afrikaans magazines . There are invitations issued to our committee to contribute, coming from journalists ,as we are being recognised as an advocate for the emotional well being of babies. As always we have to tread carefully and gently and make baby steps in new and kinder ways of nurturing, as we advocate Babies’ rights and the anticipated controversy. This was in line with our committee’s decision that the general public needed to made more aware of the maternal-infant issues on the ground and the valuable research-work combinations that are currently taking place. Our current committee is looking at a 2014 meeting presentation on infant and carers rights (advocacy role) and how these can be supported. A stand addressing the same topic at the local Baby Expo is also being investigated by the committee. Again knowing that we are well supported by the parent-umbrella body of the WAIMH makes the task of tackling and gently shaking rigid parental practices ,less daunting. Kerry Brown’s proposed SA presentation was unfortunately downgraded to Poster presentation but hopefully she can regroup and present at the next conference. Some committee members have the feeling of not being that well linked to WAIMH, but on our side we also need to make the effort to make connections more . Your website and newsletters are really important in this respect. We have no finalised plans to come to Edinburgh for the upcoming conference but I will certainly be at the next conference. Looking forward to closely working with you in the coming year,and wishing you great patience and wisdom as you march toward the Edinburgh conference. Yours Sincerely Jeanine Beukes Chairperson WCAIMH PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS AND Topics covered :FOR INFANT MENTAL HEALTH Topics covered in our monthly meetings in 2013 included: Nurturing the Baby by seeing the Mother-Improving child outcomes through maternal mental health interventions,presented by Dr Simone Honikman of the Peri-Natal Research Project(in its 10th year),A multidisciplinary panel discussion on Fussy Feeders was beautifully presented by Bea Wirz, Mush Perrins and Katherine Megaw, Mentalization-based parenting psychotherapy for at-risk parents caring for young children.”by Prof Suchman, The Grandmaternal Transference by Dr Nicola Dugmore,How can you both Love and Hate your baby?”- Addressing ambivalence in the parent-infant relationship. Presented by authors Greg Fried and Lisa Lazarus of “ The Book Of Jacob” fame, The Impact of Loss and Bereavement on Early Parenthood by Judith Davies followed byCross Cultural experience of loss as shared by the Parent Centre A few admin matters:Please note that our monthly meetings have reverted back to the 3rd Thursday of the month. The yearly subscription is R350. Non-member guest contribution is R50 (in a named envelope, please). Ad hoc guests are not eligible for CPD points.
Account details: WCAIMH; Standard Bank, Rondebosch, Account no. 274916401. Branch code: 051001. Link to our website: www.infantmentalhealth.co.za – Any contributions for our website- articles or suggested books, would be appreciated. We welcome any input and suggestions. Regards Jeanine Beukes- Chairperson This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
WESTERN CAPE ASSOCIATION FOR INFANT MENTAL HEALTH PREVIOUS EVENTS and edited NEWSLETTERS 2013 June Newsletter and Upcoming event on Thursday 20 June 2013 at 7:30pm Red Cross Child and Family Unit, Sawkins Rd A panel discussion on Fussy Feeders: Bea Wirz(Clinical Social Worker), Mush Perrins (Occupational Therapist) and Katherine Megaw (Paediatric Dietician) will give us some brief insights into issues they deal with relating to infant’s relationship with food. Thereafter they will be open to respond to our specific dilemmas. This promises to be a lively and informative evening, so do join us just before you settle into the holidays. Please note that our monthly meetings have reverted back to the 3rd Thursday of the month. Previous meeting: Our last meeting (in May) was presented by Nancy Suchman from Yale University. We were treated to interesting case material on video relating to assisting mothers to mentalise. In learning to see the “other” more accurately, the relationships grew and we observed infants and their mothers bonding and growing. Most importantly, it is research as rigorous as this that will enhance our credibility as Infant Health Workers. Should you wish to add to our compilation of a list of more helpful (as opposed to prescriptive) books so that we can place these on our website, please forward your suggestions to me on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it It would be great if you could add 2 or 3 sentences capturing the essence of your gem, please.
Regards Jeanine Beukes- Chairperson This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it May 2013 Newsletter and Upcoming event on 9 May at 7:30pm Red Cross Child and Family Unit, Sawkins Rd Our next meeting is on Thursday 9th May. We welcome Professor Nancy Suchman from Yale University who will present “Mentalization-based parenting psychotherapy for at-risk parents caring for young children.” Professor Suchman has a special interest in Mother-Child relations and the Neurobiology of parenting and addiction - and has agreed to give us this talk ahead of the workshop series she will be presenting. Please note that our following monthly meeting will revert to the 3rd Thursday of the month- 20 June 2013.
Previous meeting: Our last meeting (in March) was presented by Dr Nicola Dugmore- The Grandmaternal Transference. It was a truly unique and insightful perspective into how we as therapists might be perceived by our mother- clients. As we are present in the room with both the mother and the infant, our perceived psychological role can shift into that of the Grandmaternal in its various guises. Nicola also used case studies to amplify her theory, making her presentation both alive and relevant .Those who still wish to have a copy of her paper published recently in Journal of Child Psychotherapy, can find it on our website: www.infantmentalhealth.co.za April\ May Newsletter and Upcoming event on 9 April at 7:30pm -Red Cross Child and Family Unit, Sawkins Rd Our next meeting is on Thursday 9th April so that we can welcome Professor Nancy Suchman from Yale University to present “Mentalization-based parenting psychotherapy for at-risk parents caring for young children.”She has a special interest in Mother child- relations and the Neurobiology of parenting and addiction and has agreed to give us this talk ahead of the workshop series she will be presenting. Please note thatour following monthly meeting will revert to the 3rd Thursday of the month- 20 June 2013. Last Month: Our last meeting( in March) was presented by Dr Nicola Dugmore- The Grandmaternal transference . It was a truly unique and insightful perspective to how we as therapists might be perceived by our mother- clients. As we are present in the room with both the mother and the infant, our perceived psychological role can shift into that of the Grandmaternal in its various guises . Nicola also used case studies to amplify her theory, making her presentation both alive and relevant Those that still wish to have a copy of her paper published recently in Journal of Child Psychotherapy, please contact us. We will also include it on our website:www.infantmentalhealth.co.za Regards Jeanine Beukes- Chairperson This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it March Newsletter and Upcoming event on 28 March 2013 at 7:30pm -Red Cross Child and Family Unit, Sawkins Rd Our next meeting is on the Thursday before the long weekend (4th week) 28 March where Nicola Dugmore is coming from Johannesburg to share her experience of the “Grandmaternal Transference” From Nicola’s abstract: “The grandmaternal transference has special relevance to parent–infant psychotherapy since the grandmother often represents both the mother’s mother and the child’s grandmother and offers a unique third position between mother and child. The containing grandmother, differentiating grandmother (able to help mother and infant with separation and individuation),and the therapist seen as a paternal grandmother who acts as a pseudo-father able to embody the paternal function. In each of these positions, the transference and countertransference – whether positive or negative – require that the therapist responds to rather than enacts the grandmaternal role.” We had an amazing opening presentation last month where Greg and Liza Lazarus generously shared the inner turmoil and ultimate integration of their mixed emotions on the arrival of their noisy newborn into what was previously perceived as a calm and serene marital union. No one had prepared them for the sustained onslaught and trauma of this adjustment. It’s presentations like these that help us to expand our understanding and compassion- and hopefully we can extend that into our work space. Thank you to Lisa and Greg. If you wish to order the hard copy of their (presently out of print),”The Book of Jacob”@ R100 please contact Lisa at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
NEWSLETTER AND NOTICE FOR UPCOMING FEBRUARY MEETING The February meeting of the WCAIMH will be held on THURSDAY 21st February 2013 at 7:30pm at the Out-patient Unit of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch Our topic is in keeping with the Valentine’s month of February: “How can you both Love and Hate your baby?”- Addressing ambivalence in the parent-infant relationship. Authors Greg Fried and Lisa Lazarus of “ The Book Of Jacob” fame will be presenting and discussing both their baby experiences and the mixed responses their controversial book evoked. We plan to meet the on the third Thursday of every month, at 7.30pm until about 9pm at the Outpatient Unit in Sawkins Rd, Rosebank. Presentations usually take about 40 minutes with sometime after for questions and/or discussion. Our new committee was voted in for a 2 yr period at the November 2012 AGM: Chairperson: Jeanine Beukes Secretary: Julia Noble Treasurer: Mush Perrin We look forward to serving you.
JEANINE BEUKES. Chairperson WCIMH This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Invitation to attend
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Left to Right: Kerry Brown, Julia Noble, Mush Perrins, Jeanine Beukes
