Infant and Toddler Mental Health (ITMH) refers to the healthy social, emotional, and cognitive development of children from birth to age 3. It focuses on how young children experience, express, and regulate emotions, form secure relationships, and explore their environment—all within the context of their family and caregiving relationships.

What Does an ITMH Counselor Do:

1. Strengthens Parent-Child Relationships

• Helps caregivers understand their child's cues, behaviors, and needs.

• Supports bonding and attachment through reflective listening and relationship-based strategies.

• Guides parents in creating safe, responsive, and emotionally supportive environments.

2. Assesses Development and Mental Health

• Observes infants and toddlers in natural settings (home, daycare).

• Screens for emotional, behavioral, or developmental concerns (e.g., feeding issues, excessive crying, sleep disturbances, attachment issues).

• Evaluates the parent-child relationship and family dynamics.

3. Provides Therapy or Intervention

• Uses dyadic therapy (working with the caregiver and child together) to improve interactions and emotional regulation.

• Supports families through trauma, loss, postpartum depression, or disruptions in care (like foster care or parental separation).

• May use play-based interventions, reflective practice, and trauma-informed approaches.

4. Supports and Educates Caregivers

• Offers psychoeducation about child development and parenting.

• Helps caregivers manage stress, mental health, and their own early attachment histories.

• Builds caregiver capacity to respond to challenging behaviors with sensitivity and consistency.

5. Collaborates with Other Professionals

• Coordinates with pediatricians, early intervention specialists, social workers, or child welfare agencies.

• Advocates for services and supports (e.g., developmental evaluations, therapy, home visiting programs).