About the author

FRAN CHAVASSE is a registered general nurse, registered midwife and is a child and family health nurse. Fran’s specialty is infant mental health and she has as a Master of Mental Health (Infancy). Fran is currently doing a PhD; her research examines the nurse and mother’s adult attachment and how it affects their working alliance.

Fran has worked in child and family health nursing for more than 35 years. Her primary expertise is in the first 5 years of life, and she has also worked with children through primary school and into adolescence. She has worked in a wide range of child and family health services, including extended health home visiting, mother and baby residential units, clinical nurse consultancy and nursing management. As senior nurse educator for Tresillian, Fran regularly provides a range of infant mental health workshops for child and family health nurses, allied health professionals and childcare workers.