Infant and Early Mental Health Promotion - IEMHP

11/17/2025

The 19th WAIMH World Congress is more than just a conference, it's a celebration of global collaboration in infant and early mental health.

When we nurture the youngest minds, we unlock endless possibilities. Some will become scientists, artists, athletes, teachers, parents, or community leaders. Each path matters — and every child deserves the best start to reach their full potential.

As leaders in infant and early mental health, we have a responsibility to ensure every infant receives the right start and support to reach their full potential.

Abstract submissions for are now open. Submit your paper by December 1 and share your insights with a global community of academics, practitioners, advocates, and policymakers.

Submit today: https://shorturl.at/0RPla

11/13/2025

Families grow through connection, in the moments of play, laughter, exploration and discovery that help children feel safe and seen. These early relationships shape how children learn to regulate emotions, build trust, and experience belonging.

Reflective Family Play (RFP) is a family therapy model designed for the infant and preschool population, with potential applications for older children who may better be served by a play-based model of family intervention. Designed for clinicians interested in broadening their scope of practice, this approach strengthens family bonds through play, reflection and connection.

Led by Diane A. Phillip, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, the session will guide clinicians in using play as a therapeutic medium to deepen reflective practice.

Join her in exploring how play can become a bridge to connection and healing within families.

📅 December 4–5, 2025 | 9:00 am–5:00 pm EST
💻 Hybrid: In-person (Toronto) + Virtual

Learn more here: https://www.iemhp.ca/student/MyCourse.aspx?id=e14b3c56-9752-48ef-bf0f-15cbe1d4630d&categoryid=&programid=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&returnUrl=ContentPage.aspx?PageID=61583397-b344-41c9-d1dc-50aee146f75a&utm_source=IEMH+Promotion+Newsletter+2021&utm_campaign=a2b192c11b-eblast-training-sep2023_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-f424d47898-&mc_cid=a2b192c11b&mc_eid=UNIQID

11/13/2025

When communities come together with a shared purpose to ensure every child can grow up healthy, supported and seen, change begins to take root.

On November 12, 2025, more than 55 practitioners and leaders gathered online to celebrate the launch of the Infant and Early Mental Health (IEMH) Care Pathways initiative in Hastings & Prince Edward (HPE). Planned and led by the Children and Youth Planning Table of HPE and the IEMH Care Pathways Implementation team, this milestone reflects years of dedication, collaboration and perseverance.

The IEMH Care Pathways initiative unites community champions across sectors to create clear, equitable pathways for our youngest population to access the services they need. By strengthening collaboration, transforming how young children access services, and collecting ASQ data to better understand how children in HPE are doing, we aim to build a stronger, more connected foundation for lifelong well-being.

As the work continues, the Children and Youth Planning Table of HPE will lead the way in sustaining these vital pathways, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Curious to learn more about the IEMH Care Pathways project? Visit https://www.iemhp.ca/care-pathways to discover more about the initiative.

11/11/2025

Every community holds the wisdom, relationships and commitment needed to help children thrive. When those strengths come together through shared purpose, systems of care begin to transform.

The Infant and Early Mental Health (IEMH) Care Pathways initiative is a collaborative effort to build clear, community-driven systems that help families access timely and culturally grounded support for their children’s development and well-being.

On November 4, 2025, more than 30 leaders and practitioners from the Indigenous Community of Simcoe County gathered at Midland Public Library to begin a meaningful conversation and collective journey towards shaping their pathway. In partnership with the Georgian Bay Native Women’s Association and the Shki Biinoojii Well-Being Program, this milestone brought together community champions across sectors, each deeply committed to nurturing the mental health and well-being of infants, young children and their families.

Through shared reflection and hands-on activities, participants explored the community’s strengths, identified opportunities to strengthen collaboration and deepened collective understanding of how to make support more accessible and culturally safe.

We are grateful for the warmth and partnership of everyone who joined us in this important step toward building sustainable, connected care for young children and families.

To learn more about the IEMH Care Pathways initiative, please visit https://www.iemhp.ca/care-pathways

11/05/2025

Each season offers a moment to pause, to notice what has taken root and what continues to grow.

This fall, we are honoured to share the Nurturing the Seed Autumn Bundle, a seasonal collection of stories, updates and resources that celebrate the work taking place alongside our Indigenous partners.

The Bundle shares how communities are supporting children and families through culturally grounded practices that nurture belonging, resilience and well-being. Each story offers a glimpse into how communities are nurturing the foundations of infant and early mental health through connection, knowledge sharing and the strength of relationships that guide this work forward—work that is an honour to witness.

We invite you to spend time with this season’s reflections, to read, share and carry them into your own work in support of children, families and communities:https://SickKids.b-cdn.net/medialibrary/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000/aeed7760-3e82-4751-ba29-0674632395ee/1/aeed7760-3e82-4751-ba29-0674632395ee.pdf

10/30/2025

Abstract submissions for are now open! This is your opportunity to help shape the global conversation on infant and early mental health.

Hear from Dr. Chaya Kulkarni, Director of IEMHP and Congress host and Chair of the local organizing committee about why the call for abstracts is so important.

Hurry, abstract submissions close on December 1! Submit your paper today and bring your voice, your practice, and your experience to this international gathering.

Submit today: https://shorturl.at/0RPla

10/28/2025

Meet Dr. Daniel S. Schechter, one of 's State of the Art Lecture speakers!

Daniel is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and researcher with extensive training in developmental neuroscience and infant mental health. He completed his undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate education at Columbia University in New York, followed by post-graduate training in psychiatry and an NIMH T-32 Research Fellowship in Developmental Neuroscience at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Following his NIMH K-23 Research Career Award (“Maternal PTSD and Interactive Behavior with Very Young Children”), he was recruited to Geneva University Hospitals, where he served as Chief of Pediatric Consult-Liaison and Director of Parent-Child Research, later becoming Deputy Chief of Service.

Daniel has since held academic appointments at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he was Barakett Associate Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and currently serves as Senior Attending Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Medical Director of Perinatal and Early Childhood Ambulatory Care and Research at Lausanne University Medical Center (CHUV). He is also Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at the University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine and Adjunct Associate Professor at NYU.

His research explores the psychobiological impact of maternal trauma on early caregiving, parent-child psychopathology, and the intergenerational transmission of trauma, with a focus on clinical interventions that support early development.

Following his NIMH K-23 Research Career Award (“Maternal PTSD and Interactive Behaviour with Very Young Children”), he was recruited to Geneva University Hospitals, where he served as Chief of Pediatric Consult-Liaison and Director of Parent-Child Research, later becoming Deputy Chief of Service.

The call for papers is now open. Submit your abstract today: https://shorturl.at/0RPla

10/27/2025

Every conversation brings us closer to a stronger, more connected system of care. We’re looking forward to the next stop in Thunder Bay—a day of shared learning and collaboration to advance infant and early mental health. Join us on October 29📆

Join us in Thunder Bay!

On October 29, Infant and Early Mental Health Promotion (IEMHP) will be in Thunder Bay for our next national symposium. Each symposium creates space for professionals across sectors to come together, share ideas, and strengthen how we support infant and early mental health in our communities.

Together with our partners at Kids Brain Health Network and Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions, we’re bringing practitioners, educators and community leaders across Canada together to explore how we can advance infant and early mental health—one conversation, one community at a time.

If you’re passionate about creating lasting change in the early years, this is where intention becomes action.

📅 October 29, 2025
📍 Thunder Bay, ON
🔗 https://learning.iemhp.ca/student/MyCourse.aspx?attempt=0&id=a06b6e1a-eada-4e95-9fdf-1aeb993046a6&categoryid=&programid=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&lastPageTitle=Events|3a5498f6-cfcf-768e-565b-2dccf6a266c0&returnUrl=ContentPage.aspx?PageID=3a5498f6-cfcf-768e-565b-2dccf6a266c0

10/23/2025

We’ve moved!🌟

In 2020, we became Infant and Early Mental Health Promotion, and last year we launched our new website: www.iemhp.ca

Today, we officially say goodbye to our old site imhpromotion.ca. Please bookmark www.iemhp.ca to stay connected and access all our resources.

🔗 https://www.iemhp.ca

10/23/2025

As we prepare to welcome the world to Toronto next October as part of WAIMH2026, it’s important for us to take a moment to thank some of our partner organizations, without whom this global Congress would not be possible.

Today, we are proud to spotlight our incredible partners at Destination Toronto, who have been involved in planning WAIMH2026 since day 1 and will be with us through the Congress’ completion. They have provided extensive support throughout the bidding process and since, with marketing, access to a wealth of photos and graphics of the city, assistance with networking, and amplifying of our call for abstracts.

Our partners at Destination Toronto have been fabulous people to brainstorm new ideas and creatively strategize for the success of the Congress.

On behalf of the entire organizing team, we want to send a heartfelt ‘Thank You’ to everyone at Destination Toronto; we could not have done it without them!

Join us in Toronto next October for the 19th WAIMH World Congress. The call for papers is now open. Submit your abstract today: https://shorturl.at/0RPla

Destination Toronto

10/22/2025

Join us in Thunder Bay!

On October 29, Infant and Early Mental Health Promotion (IEMHP) will be in Thunder Bay for our next national symposium. Each symposium creates space for professionals across sectors to come together, share ideas, and strengthen how we support infant and early mental health in our communities.

Together with our partners at Kids Brain Health Network and Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions, we’re bringing practitioners, educators and community leaders across Canada together to explore how we can advance infant and early mental health—one conversation, one community at a time.

If you’re passionate about creating lasting change in the early years, this is where intention becomes action.

📅 October 29, 2025
📍 Thunder Bay, ON
🔗 https://learning.iemhp.ca/student/MyCourse.aspx?attempt=0&id=a06b6e1a-eada-4e95-9fdf-1aeb993046a6&categoryid=&programid=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&lastPageTitle=Events|3a5498f6-cfcf-768e-565b-2dccf6a266c0&returnUrl=ContentPage.aspx?PageID=3a5498f6-cfcf-768e-565b-2dccf6a266c0

10/21/2025

Dr. Astrid Berg, President of WAIMH, is a distinguished psychiatrist, child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Jungian analyst based in South Africa. She holds an MBChB (Pretoria), FFPsych (SA), and an MPhil in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Astrid is Emerita Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town, Extraordinary Associate Professor at Stellenbosch University, and currently teaches and practises at Tygerberg Hospital. Over the past two decades, she has played a leading role in building the field of infant mental health in South Africa.

Astrid founded the Western Cape Association for Infant Mental Health (a WAIMH affiliate), led the Parent-Infant Mental Health Service at UCT for 18 years, and co-convenes the MPhil in Infant Mental Health at Stellenbosch. At the international level, she has contributed through training, supervision, consultation, and service to WAIMH, and held leadership roles within its Executive Committee.

Join Dr. Astrid Berg and the global community of infant and early mental health researchers, practitioners, and professionals at WAIMH 2026.

The call for papers is now open. Submit your abstract today: https://shorturl.at/0RPla