It's Wednesday 17th May and my last day in Detroit. I have packed so many appointments into the day that there's no space for a lunch or dinner break. Fortunately, we start the day with an Infant Mental Health (IMH) supervisors breakfast, again hosted by Ann Stacks, Carla Barron and Carolyn Dayton. I fortify myself with a plate of goodies and coffee I'm all set for the day. This breakfast is an opportunity for the team to say thank you to the organisations that provide p

In my previous blog I spoke about the mental health of babies and how we can give them the best start in life, with the help of good research. Today I learn about how the professional workforce in Michigan is equipped to work competently with babies and their caregivers. A Competency Framework for Infant Mental Health Practitioners It's Tuesday 16th May 2017, and we're off to Southgate, to the headquarters of Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (Mi-AIMH) and the A

It's all about the baby Well, it's Monday morning and time to get down to some serious meetings and thinking about infant mental health after all that sightseeing and socialising over the weekend. I must confess that it's left me feeling really inspired and refreshed. But why am I visiting all these universities and talking to clever doctors, researchers and professors? Does this have anything to do with the mental health of babies? And anyway... do babies even have mental

"Freedom" - Slaves look over at Canada from the banks of the Detroit River On Saturday morning, 14th May, we checked out of Robert's Riverwalk Hotel and checked into Airbnb for a more homely feel. Jane's old house; situated about ten minutes by car from Downtown Detroit, was very peaceful and full of character. The weather was very hot while we were there, as you can see from the hazy photo. Launch of the QLine (tram) We took the bus downtown and explored the city centre for

After the conference in Kalamazoo our next stop is Detroit; known as The Motor City due to the many car industries that are based there. On researching the travel options we find that the journey by Greyhound coach and the train both take over three hours. We choose the Amtrak train, which was surprisingly spacious and comfortable. The hours flew by. We are keen to experience what it really feels like to be in Detroit and wish to use Airbnb which would allow us to stay in

Let me pick up from where I left off two blogs ago and update you on the rest of the conference in Kalamazoo. I've been getting carried away with meeting so many amazing people that I've not kept up with my blogs. Joanna (our daughter) tells me that she's waiting eagerly to read the next one so here goes, Joanna. This one's for you. More from the Mi-AIMH Conference The conference took place at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo. It looks really stunning doesn't it? Aft

You might wonder why I have chosen to start my USA travels in Michigan. Well... this is the birthplace of parent-infant psychotherapy (PIP). Actually, to be more precise... PIP was birthed out of a sharing of knowledge between the UK and the USA... a bit like what I'm seeking to do in this travelling fellowship. Selma Fraiberg Selma Fraiberg (1918-1981) was a social worker who was trained as a psychoanalyst by Anna Freud, in London. She then moved back to the USA and pione

We arrived at the beautiful Kalamazoo Airport about 9.00 pm on Friday evening (2.00 am UK time); which was full of modern art, such as the scene below. From here we were transported to our hotel by a complementary shuttle bus. As we checked in the receptionist announced with surprise that there was another booking with the same surname. Kofi's brother, who lives about two hours drive away, had reserved a family suite for the following night at the same hotel. What a lovely

This is the final phase of my travel fellowship adventure, sponsored by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. What a privilege to be here in the USA as an ambassador for the trust, to learn from best practice in parent-infant psychotherapy, and to bring the learning back to the UK to inspire my colleagues. I'm travelling again with my husband, Kofi-William Osafo, who also came with me to Prague and Scandinavia. Already, after just two days in the USA, there's so much to sha