1st Edition
What Therapists Need to Know About Perinatal and Early Relational Health A Guide to Anti-Oppressive Counseling with Caregivers, Babies, and Young Children
What Therapists Need to Know About Perinatal and Early Relational Health is a vital and timely text that will strengthen any clinician’s awareness and competence when working with children, infants, and caregivers. Every chapter is written from a framework of cultural humility to support the competent care of individuals with different intersectionalities. Cultural humility involves critical self-reflection and critique of values, beliefs, and experiences, and so each chapter provides reflective questions and tools that support clinicians' anti-oppressive practices.
What Therapists Need to Know About Perinatal and Early Relational Health offers practical strategies that are rooted in diversity-informed tenets and support reflection on our values, beliefs, and experiences. By embracing the wisdom within these pages, therapists can transform their practice into one that is more relational and heart centered.
Section 1: Introduction 1. Bridging the Gaps Observed: Reflections on Counseling Perinatal Caregivers and their Little Ones Section 2: Establishing the Framework 2. Grounding the Relational Approach to Therapy 3. An Overview of the Perinatal Period 4. Supporting Babies and Young Children 5. Leaning into Reflective Practice 6. Aspiring to Embody Cultural Humility Section 3: Conducting Assessments 7. Partnering Through the Assessment 8. The Invitation to Deepen the Relationship Section 4: Interventions for Perinatal Individuals and their Little Ones 9. Parental Reflective Capacity 10. Play as a Pathway to Healing 11. The Caregiver as a Whole Person Section 5. Transitioning Out of Counseling 12. The Theraputic Pause
Biography
Meyleen Velasquez, DSW, LICSW, RPT-S, PMH-C, IMH-E, is an immigrant Latina psychotherapist specializing in perinatal and infant mental health through an anti-oppressive framework .
“What Therapists Need to Know About Perinatal and Early Relational Health does a beautiful job of breaking down the silos of infant and perinatal mental health while looking critically at their foundational theories from an anti-oppressive lens. The result is an informative text for both new and experienced providers to examine how we show up for families with young children.”
Mia Edidin, LICSW, PMH-C, clinical director at Perinatal Support Washington
“This is an empowering and inspiring book that teaches readers how to lean into vulnerability and fully join caregivers during their journey. Dr. Velasquez’s innovative and brave shift from a relational to an antiracist lens creates space for cultural curiosity and self-reflection. If you care deeply about how you or your team shows up in relationship-based work, then put this book on your required reading list.”
Dr. Harleen Hutchinson, IMH-E, executive director of The Journey Institute, Inc.
“This book is essential reading for all psychotherapists who support growing families. It bridges the gap in caring for parental and infant mental health while considering collectivist, holistic frameworks. Dr. Velasquez brings about a necessary paradigm shift that I enthusiastically endorse.”
Katayune Kaeni, PsyD, PMH-C, host of the Mom and Mind Podcast and board chair of Postpartum Support International
