Element 6 of 10

Hearing and representing all voices, especially the child’s

Eliciting the voices of all consultee organization members, the consultant is dedicated to hearing about and from each individual.^{Note 3}

Key points

The consultant demonstrates that various views can be held and heard equally.
When necessary, the consultant represents the perspective of one participant to another with the aim of increasing the adults’ capacity to and belief in the usefulness of communicating directly to one another.
The consultant’s goal is not to negotiate a particular outcome, but to enlist cooperation among those involved in children’s lives.
The consultant gives voice to those with few words or little power: the children and marginalized members of society or an organization.

3. Pawl, J. (2000). The interpersonal center of the work that we do. In Responding to infants and parents: Inclusive interaction in assessment, consultation, and treatment in infant/family practice (pp.5-7). Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families.

Source: Element text is reproduced from 10 Elements Comprise the Essential Core of an Effective Consultative Stance, Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (2025).