Counselling Parents: The Basics

A parent is one of the most significant influences generally experienced in a child's early life. In addition to looking after the basics of food and shelter, parents are responsible for children's socialisation, which children receive through direct instruction from parents, observation of parents' behaviour, and social management by parents. But when children's behaviour goes “off the rails”, what sorts of parenting approaches are the most effective to help the children get back on track? And when parents' skills or practices seem to fall short, what can be done to help parents move beyond feeling derailed? The course tackles these broad questions, looking at what may be involved in the counselling of parents around issues they face with their children. It's not a compendium of tips such as how to prevent a three-year-old from supermarket meltdown. It addresses the signs and symptoms that that professional assistance may be required and clarifies the expectations, fears, and goals that parents bring into the therapy room. It also examines parenting and attachment styles and basic parenting principles. Upon successful completion of the course, you should be able to: help parents clarify their motivations for attending counselling and accurately describe their expectations in coming to the sessions; identify for parents the signs that indicate a child needs professional help; define what good parenting is; inspire confidence in parent-clients by communicating an understanding of both the influence and potential challenges parents can have; explain the various parenting styles and the pros and cons of raising children utilising each; help parents to identify their own attachment style and how it may affect their parenting; list at least eight of the main principles of good parenting; apply the course concepts to an analysis of example cases.