Overview

The Perinatal and Infant Psychology Interest Group (PIPIG) is pleased to present our PIPIG Member Presentation Series. This one-hour webinar is free for members and is designed to showcase current research and practice within our member community.

We are delighted to feature two speakers.

Laura Ingham, Clinical Psychologist and Accredited Inklings Practitioner, will present on The Inklings program – a video feedback pilot program in South Australia supporting infant development. Babies are born with remarkable abilities to communicate. Sometimes, a baby’s capacities to communicate and express their emotions develop differently from what might be expected for their age. The Inklings program is for infants aged 6–18 months who are developing differently in the areas of communication and interaction. It provides support to caregivers, utilising video feedback, to understand the unique ways their baby communicates feelings and needs. Caregivers build on their strengths in connecting with their baby in everyday play.

Melissa Freestun, Perinatal and Registered Psychologist, will present her PhD research on psychological birth trauma and its relationship with adult attachment styles. This presentation explores the growing recognition that childbirth can be experienced as psychologically traumatic, even without major obstetric complications, and that definitions of birth-related trauma remain inconsistent in the literature. Grounded in attachment theory, trauma theory, and relational models of care, the PhD examines how adult attachment styles may influence vulnerability to psychological birth trauma and how psychologically informed maternity care may reduce this risk. The presentation summarises two scoping reviews, an initial empirical study showing early evidence that attachment insecurity may be associated with greater birth trauma vulnerability and lower birth satisfaction, and outlines current and planned studies within this translational program of research.

Learning Outcomes

Inklings Program (Laura Ingham)

Upon completion of the webinar, participants will have:

• Knowledge about the development of the Inklings program from a research protocol (iBASIS-VIPP) to a clinical, manualised program (Inklings)
• Knowledge of the emerging evidence-based and research outcomes in relation to the iBASIS-VIPP and Inklings programs for infants/toddlers and their caregivers
• Understanding of the referral, assessment, and support process in the Inklings program, as well as post-program pathways
• Explored the central role video feedback plays in helping caregivers to reflect on the ways they support their infant’s development and consideration of factors that may impact the caregiver and infant/toddler’s experience of this program, including cultural diversity and neurodiversity
• Reflections from an Accredited Inklings Practitioner on how the program supports infant communication and interaction development, and elements of caregiver responsiveness to their infant/toddler

Psychological Birth Trauma (Melissa Freestun)

Upon completion of this event, participants should be able to:

• Understand psychological birth trauma, attachment-related vulnerability, and how relational maternity care may support prevention

Presenter(s)

About the presenter(s)

Laura Ingham is a Clinical Psychologist with over 14 years experience working across government and private practice including infant and perinatal mental health, child, adolescent and adult mental health and child and adult disability services in the ACT, Victoria and South Australia. Laura’s areas of interest, in particular, include attachment and early relational health, infant and child mental health (under 5 years) and perinatal mental health.

Melissa Freestun is a perinatal and general psychologist in private practice in Queensland. Her early clinical training focused on attachment theory, and working with children and young people who experienced complex trauma. Her other research initiatives have explored the contagion effect of adolescent suicide, workplace conflict and healthcare resilience, and the role of emotional intelligence in fostering workplace culture and job satisfaction. Melissa has held senior clinical and executive roles in mental health, suicidology, disability, and primary healthcare. Her PhD research blends her clinical and creative passions, supporting women in understanding and recovering from their trauma experiences as a result of pregnancy and childbirth.

Notes

Target Audience

This webinar is suitable for professionals working across infant, child and adolescent, and perinatal mental health sectors, including those supporting neurodiverse families. It is also suitable for those with an interest in perinatal psychology.

Please note:

• This is a Member Groups event. All communication will be sent to the registrants’ registered email address. This includes event reminders with details (such as the zoom link) and any pre-event or post-event resources, if provided by the facilitators.
• A post-event email will be sent within two weeks of the event’s completion to each registrant’s registered email address. This email will include the CPD certificate, event-recording and any additional resources shared during the session.

Duration of Access

This event will be recorded. The recording will be emailed to all registered within 2 weeks post event and available for viewing up to 90 days.

CPD

It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.

The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.

If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.