REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IN INFANT MENTAL HEALTH—A SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

ABSTRACT Reflective practice forms a pivotal part of mental health intervention in a setting where language and cultural differences require working together with a community counselor for language interpretation. Reflective practice in infant mental health began with Esther Bick's ([Bick, E., 1987]) infant observations and continued with Selma Fraiberg's ([Fraiberg, S., 1987]) parent–infant psychotherapy. These two models formed the basis of the practice of infant mental health in a community in South Africa. A clinical example will highlight the importance of culturally informed observation that is then reflected upon. A qualitative study that examined the interaction among the participants in three clinical settings shows that a sustained partnership and tolerance for flexibility lie at the heart of good practice in intercultural settings. Object‐relations theory offers an additional, in‐depth understanding of the underlying psychic processes in reflective practice.