Publications and Books
Therapeutic Cultural Routines to Build Family Relationships
About the Book
Social workers and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) helpers need practical, relationship-based clinical tools to support families experiencing stress, separation, and loss. Research reveals key parenting behaviors occur during hair combing interaction (HCI) – lively verbal interaction, sensitive touch, and responsiveness to infant cues. This book explores how the simple routine of combing hair serves as an emotionally powerful, trauma-informed, culturally valid therapeutic tool.
HCI offers a low-cost opportunity for IECMH helpers to engage families and sustain attachment relationships. In this book, case studies illustrate the use of HCI with diverse families of color. Each chapter includes questions for reflective supervision to understand sociocultural factors that may shape behaviors during HCI. Topics included in the text:
The Observing Professional and the Parent’s Ethnobiography
Introduction to Reflective Supervision: Through the Lens of Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
A Case Study in Cross-Racial Practice and Supervision: Reflections in Black and White
Tools to Disrupt Legacies of Colorism: Perceptions, Emotions &Stories of Childhood Racial Features
Institutions with a license for Springer Nature eBook collections have access to MyCopy, which allows library users to order a personal, print copy for $24.99, including shipping and handling.
“It is a pleasure to write an endorsement for this important book. This book introduces many new and important perspectives related to racism, colorism, and ways to understand the impact of historical trauma on early parent-child relationships. Dr. Lewis, over many years of work, has developed an evidence-based intervention to address racial disparities and support the relationship within African American families through the important cultural routine of combing hair. . . I highly recommend this book to social workers and to infant and early childhood mental health providers as they will gain important perspectives about culturally sensitive ways to support early relationships.”
Joy D. Osofsky, Paul J. Ramsay Endowed Chair of Psychiatry and Barbara Lemann Professor of Child Welfare, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Table of Contents
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Introduction to Reflective Supervision: Through the Lens of Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Summoning Angels in the Nursery with Hair Combing Interactions
Infant Mental Health Practice & Reflective Supervision: Who We Are
A Case Study in Cross-Racial Practice & Supervision: Reflections in Black and White
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Crowning Glory. Malian girl wearing traditional hair style. Artist: © Jean Lewis
Explores the simple routine of combing hair as an emotionally powerful, trauma-informed, culturally valid therapeutic tool.
This Book…
Illustrates the use of hair combing interaction to observe and strengthen parent/caregiver-child attachment relationships.
Creates awareness of painful childhood messages of colorism regarding racial features, specifically hair type and skin tone.
Explores reflective supervision through the antiracist lens of culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“Contributors to this volume present case studies and ethnographic approaches conforming the power of Talk, Touch & Listen hair combing interactions for reducing mother-child stress and enhancing interpersonal resilience in families affected by historic trauma and continued contemporary racism and discrimination. Talk,Touch & Listen, a culturally and historically anchored process, is a valuable relationship-based clinical intervention for enhancing mother-child mental health and well-being and should be read by everyone who works with marginalized families.”
Hiram E. Fitzgerald, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus, MichiganState University
