The SCC Blog
Respecting Specificity
Lou and Betty Sander, January, 2012 Photo courtesy of Marilyn Davillier On Thursday, I attended a lecture by Charles Nelson, Ph.D., who is a professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and affiliated with the work of the Center on the Develo...
Making Links
Last week I decided to change the name of my blog from overseascaregivers.com to supportingchildcaregivers.com. There were several reasons why I decided to do this. First of all, I had begun to appreciate the fact that the basic principles I was w...
Need for Creative Solutions
Since my last posting, I was guided by a colleague to The Better Care Network, and to The Better Care Network Working Paper (Williamson and Greenberg, 2010). This paper describes the deleterious effects of institutional care on children, referenci...
Caring for Caregivers in Infant Mental Health Course
First Weekend of the UMass Boston Infant Parent Mental Health Course This course is essentially related to the focus of this blog – caring for the caregivers. The course was where I developed my ideas more fully and also my clinical skills. Our fi...
Second Morning's Workshop
120107 Image of Supporting the Caregivers: Leonardo's "Virgin and Child with Ste. Anne" In this morning’s workshop we again started with the image of Leonardo’s Virgin and Child with Ste. Anne to remind the participants of the symbolic representat...
Continuation of First Morning's Workshop
Continuation of the first morning’s workshop after the break: After the break, Sarah and I wanted to address the losses the Home had experienced since the implementation of the law for reunification. We started the process by showing a video of on...
First Morning Workshop
120106 Best Laid Plans This time it was Sarah and I alone who made the trip. I had organized the workshop according to my last bog posting on January 1. Sarah had some excellent suggestions that we incorporated over an early breakfast in the hotel...
Planning a Workshop for Caregivers in El Salvador
Happy New Year, everyone. This is a picture of me wearing the gift from my Shanghai hosts in front of my family Christmas tree. Now, I will leave the theme of Shanghai and return to El Salvador, where I am planning a new workshop next week. WORKSH...
Chinese Culture and Caregiving Practices
Contribution from Kate Yan, Researcher and Participant in Shanghai Program I feel very fortunate to be able to post these fascinating and thoughtful comments about the relevance of the Touchpoints approach for Chinese caregivers. Kate, a researche...
Supporting the Professional Caregivers
In each case when we referred to the parent consultation model that initiated every case, we talked about restoring power and authority to the parents in a helpful way. Two of the biggest challenges of the training were: (1) understanding parents’...
Using the Parent Consultation Model in Shanghai
We used the parent consultation model in videotaped cases and with two real families from Shanghai. Josh and I adapted the PCM in a new way to explore more carefully the cultural factors involved in caregivers’ concerns – what matters to them - ab...
Shanghai Part II. Disruptive Behavior from a Cultural Point of View
We used the parent consultation model in videotaped cases and with two real families from Shanghai. Josh and I adapted the PCM in a new way to explore more carefully the cultural factors involved in caregivers’ concerns – what matters to them - ab...
Teaching Caregivers in Shanghai
I have just returned from a trip to Shanghai, where I taught in a four-day training program for mental health professionals caring for children. I was invited to participate by Dr. Joshua Sparrow, a colleague from Children’s Hospital Medical Cente...
Roughhousing: Helping Children Manage Aggression
Before I complete the “4 R’s” I promised after the “Ten Ideas for Helping Children Behave” posting, I wanted to offer some brief thoughts about roughhousing. Roughhousing is a valuable tool for helping children manage aggression. All children lear...
Supporting Caregivers Overseas and in the Pacific Northwest
I am just returning from an exciting and enjoyable visit to Portland, Oregon, where I was privileged to be this year’s Herbert M Woodcock Lecturer. As the Woodcock lecturer, I had the opportunity to present to the Oregon Psychoanalytic Society Thu...
Do Babies Remember Trauma? The Psychology and Neurobiology of Early Trauma
Many if not most children in institutionalized care in developing countries have experienced trauma. Last weekend I traveled to New York City, where I participated in a conference on trauma in infancy, “Do Babies Remember Trauma? The Psychology an...
How to handle sexual abuse allegations Part 2
Here is Part 2 - Points 6-10. To read Points 1-5, How to handle sexual abuse allegations Part 1. 6. Who, what, when, where and how: talk with the child in a private setting, if possible not in the very room where the abuse occurred. You want to kn...
Threat of Loss and Change
Conversation Between "S" of the Home and Sarah Measures 9-9-2011 Sarah spoke to S on Friday about the two ten-year-old twin brothers. Recently the boys have been acting up more at school, but not at home. Behavior issues include: not listening, sw...
How to handle sexual abuse allegations, Part 1.
Unfortunately, sexual abuse is a significant threat to children, especially to vulnerable children, and caregivers should know what to do if a child discloses abuse. A friend and colleague, Dr. Maria Sauzier, is an expert in child sexual abuse and...
VILLAGE STAFF IN ACTION
A team member, Susana, is featured in her agency newsletter. Village Staffer Shares New Expertise Locally and Internationally Just over a year ago, The Village’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Irma Seilicovich, approached therapist Susana...