Empowering Families for Success: The Surprising Benefits of Parent Training as a Primary Treatment Approach
When children and adolescents struggle with behavioral challenges, our first instinct is to send them in for treatment whether it be medication or psychotherapy. We all know to well that our children are busier than ever. They have tutors, clubs and friends to see after school and it is often difficult to prioritize treatment, especially when you have a child who is not interested in meeting with a therapist. At Lotus Psychology Practice, we would like you to consider another evidence-based treatment that can significantly impact your entire family. Parent training in therapy offers several benefits compared to solely focusing on treating the child. It recognizes the crucial role parents play in their child’s development and mental health, empowering them with effective strategies to support their child’s emotional well-being. Here are some key benefits of parent training:
- Systemic Approach: Parent training takes a systemic approach by considering the entire family system and the interactions between family members. It recognizes that changes in parenting behaviors can have a positive impact on the child’s emotional and behavioral functioning, as well as overall family dynamics.
- Generalization of Skills: When parents learn specific strategies and techniques through training, they can apply these skills in various contexts and situations, not just during therapy sessions. This generalization allows for more consistent and continuous support for the child.
- Long-Term Impact: By equipping parents with the knowledge and tools to understand and address their child’s emotional difficulties, parent training promotes long-term positive outcomes. It enables parents to support their child’s emotional well-being beyond the duration of therapy, fostering resilience and self-regulation skills.
- Improved Parent-Child Relationship: Parent training can enhance the parent-child relationship by improving communication, empathy, and understanding. When parents acquire effective parenting techniques, they can respond to their child’s emotional needs in a supportive and sensitive manner, promoting a secure attachment and a positive emotional bond.
- Reducing Parental Stress: Parenting a child with emotional difficulties can be challenging and overwhelming. Parent training provides parents with a supportive environment to share their experiences, receive guidance, and develop strategies to manage stress. As parents gain confidence and see positive changes in their child’s behavior, their own stress levels often decrease.
Now, let’s briefly discuss some evidenced-based parent training programs we utilize at Lotus Psychology Practice:
- Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE): Developed by Eli Lebowitz, SPACE focuses on providing parents with tools to support their child with anxiety disorders. It helps parents learn strategies to respond empathetically, encourage gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking situations, and promote problem-solving skills. The program also aims to reduce parental accommodation of the child’s anxiety, which can inadvertently reinforce anxious behavior.
- Incredible Years (IY), Created by Carolyn Webster-Stratton: These are two well-known parent training programs that target children’s behavioral difficulties. IY incorporates various strategies to enhance parenting skills and manage challenging behaviors. The program focus on positive reinforcement, effective communication, setting boundaries, and consistent discipline techniques.
- Parent Management Training (PMT) Parent Management Training (PMT) is an evidence-based approach to behavior therapy that was developed by Alan E. Kazdin, a renowned psychologist and researcher. PMT is designed to help parents learn effective strategies to manage their children’s behavior and promote positive changes in their family dynamics. This approach has been widely studied and found to be effective in treating a variety of behavioral and emotional issues in children.
It’s important to note that these programs have been extensively researched and have shown positive outcomes in numerous studies. However, the selection of a specific program should be based on the child’s needs, the family’s circumstances, and the expertise of the therapist.
While there are thousands of therapists out there, I don’t think any have her care or are so dedicated to helping others create a life worth living. Therapy sessions are comforting and she is so easy to talk to – it feels like confiding in a friend. In the past few years of working together, Dr. Rimler has helped me in ways I never thought possible and anyone would be lucky to work with her.
