Parental Engagement in Action

Course Overview

Active participation of parents in their child's therapeutic process is fundamental to achieving successful therapeutic outcomes. If therapists can provide care, guidance, and psychoeducation for parents, it will better support the dyadic components of the parent-child relationship.  

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Although there is consensus among child therapists that effective consultation with parents can maximize beneficial outcomes for children, parental involvement in the process does not often extend beyond the intake session, formal reviews, and brief periodic check-ins when the parent brings their child to therapy.

Effective parent consultation will:

• help the parent better understand why therapy is beneficial for their child

• aid the parent to become the agent of change for their child

• support the parent to cultivate stronger connections with their child

• offer appropriate psychoeducation to underpin understanding of their child’s behaviours as-well as their own

• assure the parent that they are not ‘alone’ in their child's journey to healing

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This training will assist therapists to begin a process with parents to break patterns and replace them with more positive alternatives.  The Therapist will feel empowered to work alongside the parent and individualise their consultations, helping parents to navigate challenges they may be experiencing with their child and within the parent-child relationship.

This Course will support qualified child therapists to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence when working with parents. Participants will be given the opportunity to learn new theoretical approaches, explore what might be influencing their response to parents, have the opportunity for role-play and develop practical techniques. 

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Course Aims

• To explore the parent/therapist dyad and understand the therapist’s responsibilities and limitations within this particular relationship

• To deepen the therapists own process and understand what might be influencing their response to parents within this relationship

• To develop a good understanding of recent theories and therapeutic models to support working with parents and to translate this knowledge into practicable skills

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Each day provides participants with tools to support parents, to understand their role within the parent/therapist dyad and to be aware of their responsibilities and limitations as child-trained professionals.

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Participants will gain the necessary skills to offer parents a more effective approach, ultimately resulting in a more successful outcome for their child clients.