CT-AIMH 2025 Fall Conference

Communication as a Way of Being: Language that Fosters Partnership in Early Relational Health

Description:The purpose of this day of learning is to ground ourselves in relationship-based practice that understands that “language can hurt or heal” while also tuning in to the self of the practitioner. The authors of “My Hero’s Journey” Workbook will facilitate a reflective space to unfold our own self-awareness about the words we choose when working with infants, young children, and their families.



Presenters:

Megan Smith, LCAT, LPC, MT-BC, IMH-E®

Megan lives in Rochester, NY with her college sweetheart and two cats and is honored to be an important adult to her three nieces. Megan’s professional career began as a Board-Certified music therapist and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist providing direct therapeutic services to children and adults in behavioral health, medical, and educational systems. Megan found her passion for clinical work that was relationship-based, family-centered, and trauma-informed as a home visiting therapist supporting families and young children interacting with the child welfare system. She now supports other professionals through Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and DC:0-5 training, Reflective Supervision/Consultation, and her role as an Adjunct Professor. She also maintains a private practice.

Samantha Colson, MSW, IMH-E®

Samantha holds both a Master’s in Social Work and Strategic Leadership from Roberts Wesleyan University. During her professional journey, she has focused on her passion for promoting positive mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan with an emphasis on suicide prevention. She is the owner of Colson Training & Consulting and Executive Director of the New York State Association for Infant Mental Health. She has also held the roles of Director of Training and Programs at NAMI Rochester, an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultant and Trainer at SPCC, and a Training Manager at Sandy Hook Promise. 

Lanh T. Durlak, LMHC, NCC, IMH-E®

Lanh is an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant and a Licensed Mental Health Therapist. She has over 12 years of experience as a home visiting therapist working with infants, young children, and their families. She interacts closely with child welfare, medical, and behavioral health systems within Rochester, NY. She currently operates a private practice, and is living her best life as a mother to her 13-month-old daughter.

Date:

Thursday, November 20, 2025

8:30am- 4:00pm

Location In-Person:

The Woodwinds

29 School Ground Rd

Branford, CT 06405

*Breakfast & Lunch Provided*

• This program has 6 Cultural Competence Continuing Education Credit Hours pending by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal.
• Certificate of Attendance will be provided
• Simultaneous Spanish Interpretation will be available

Please send payments by, November 13, 2025. There will be no refunds after November 13, 2025.

A Special Thank you to the following Sponsors:

CT- OEC



CT- DSS

CT- DCF