Parent

training

Parent training is a form of structured therapy that helps parents learning how to improve their child's behaviors and promote positive family life. Parent training can be beneficial in preventing the onset of later mood and behavioral concerns within the home.

Parent training can increase a positive family environment through:

  • setting goals

  • building a strong alliance

  • finding a teaching style that collaborates with your child

  • demonstrating and learning new skills

  • increasing open communication about challenges and concerns

Parent Training can help caregivers:

  • Correctly use reinforcement and consequences to shape positive behavior

  • Set clear and consistent boundaries + limits

  • Promote emotional regulation

  • Improve open and healthy communication

  • Increase consistent and supportive attachment

  • Utilize visual aids or interactive aids to increase your child’s autonomy

What does parent training look like?

Different types of Parent Training Programs include:

  • Behavioral and Emotional Skills Training (BEST): This is designed to help children with behavioral and emotional challenges related to trauma or mental health issues. This program focuses on ways to influence and promote positive behavior changes through behavior plans, reinforcement, and limit setting.

  • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT): PCIT involves “coaching” session during which the interactions between you and your child will be observed by the therapist. The therapist will the guide you through in-the-moment coaching on parenting and behavioral tactics to shape your child’s interactions and responses. This program focuses on decreasing behavioral concerns, in addition to increasing pro-social behaviors, self-esteem, and attachment.

  • Parent Management Training (PMT): PMT emphasizes the “bidirectional” natures of the parent-child relationship. This program incorporates positive reinforcement while setting limits for the most difficult or inappropriate behaviors. The focus of this intervention is on both improving the child’s behaviors and parent’s overall wellbeing. This intervention may additionally include enhancing social skills, emotional regulation, and problem-solving to improve the child’s behaviors.