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Sarah Martinez

Sarah Martinez

Senior Instructor

Education
  • MA in Clinical Psychology, Illinois School of Professional Psychology
  • MEd in Early Childhood Special Education, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • BS in Special Education, Vanderbilt University
Area of Expertise
  • Reflective practice
  • Infant Mental Health
  • Attachment
  • Relationship-based practice
  • Early Intervention
Professional Highlights
  • Infant-Parent Psychotherapy Private Practice
  • Secretary, Board of Directors of Illinois Association for Infant Mental Health
  • Infant Development Specialist, LaRabida Children’s Hospital

 

Publications

  • 2009 – What Are the Phases of a Reflective Supervision Meeting, T. Atchley, S. Hall, S. Martinez, and L. Gilkerson in A Practical Guide to Reflective SupervisionL. Gilkerson and S. Heller, eds. Zero to Three Press. 2009.
  • 1996 – Acquisition of Services Recommended by a Multidisciplinary Medical Diagnostic Team for Children Under Three Years of Age Evaluated for Developmental Delays N. Roizen, M. Shalowitz, K. Komie, S. Martinez, L. Miller, and S. Davis, in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, V. 17, No. 6, December 1996.
  • 1996 – Developmental and Growth Problems in Children Exposed to Cocaine in Utero, N. Roizen, K. Komie, S. Martinez, L. Miller, in Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent MedicineV. 150, April 1996.
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Presentations

  • 2019 – Supporting the Parallel Process of Workforce Wellbeing and Family Resilience, MIECHV State, Territory and Tribal All Grantee Meeting, Baltimore, MD. March 2019
  • 2019 – Self-Care, It’s More than Bubble Baths and Chocolate, Empowering Professionals Conference, Palos Park, IL. March 2019
  • 2016 – Division for Early Childhood Conference, The FAN approach to working with Families, Louisville, KY. October 2016
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Related professional experience

  • Master Trainer, Erikson’s Fussy Baby Network
  • Social-Emotional Consultant, Child and Family Connections of DuPage County
  • Director, Parent Infant Program of Little Friends Inc.
  • Infant-Parent Psychotherapy Private Practice
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Sarah Martinez’s experience reflects her dual passion: Early Intervention and ensuring that young children’s mental health needs are being met. An expert in infant mental health, Martinez understands that helping families support the social-emotional well-being of their children from a very young age has a lifelong impact, and she shares this knowledge through teaching, professional development training, and leadership roles.

As a faculty member, she not only teaches students pursuing master’s degrees and certificates, she also helps place them in internships that are suited to their passions and desired career paths. Her ability to engage students in active participation and dynamic conversation works well to meet the diverse educational needs of those looking to someday become knowledgeable practitioners working on behalf of infants and their families.

“I encourage students to share their internship experiences and apply the theories we discuss in class to the actual field work they are doing,” she says. “My role is to support them in applying the theoretical concepts that support what they want to accomplish as practitioners.”

Martinez also serves as a trainer with Erikson’s Fussy Baby Network®, a direct service program that helps families struggling with infant crying, eating, and sleeping issues. Working with home-visiting programs throughout Illinois and other states, she instructs home visitors in the intervention and communication method developed at Erikson known as FAN (Facilitating Attuned Interactions).

“We are training practitioners working with families to use the FAN method in their work with parents and young children,” she says. “The FAN supports practitioners in attuning to the needs of the parent in a way that supports that parent’s capacity and builds his or her confidence as a parent.”

In addition, Martinez is a past president of the Illinois Association for Infant Mental Health. Her leadership in the field allows her to share cutting-edge best practices with Erikson students and connect them with opportunities for professional growth — even after they have completed the program.

“I love to work with graduates as internship supervisors,” she says. “They’ve learned best practices at Erikson and are out there engaged in the work.”