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Our Be My Co-Therapist™ approach to child and play therapy is based in our understanding that children develop and heal in the context of their attachment relationships, and the most effective change occurs for children when their important adults are involved in the change process.
As child therapists, we inevitably engage with children’s parents/caregivers.
The degree of engagement may vary between therapists – from minor involvement (e.g. initial assessment and parent feedback sessions) to more intensive parent/caregiver support work as an adjunct to the child’s therapeutic process, and through to participation in a dyadic or filial therapy approach with their child.
Parents/carers bring their own mental health vulnerabilities and challenges to the child’s therapy process and these present in many ways.
It is the task of the therapist to effectively understand and navigate these so the child can be best supported. Yet many child therapists feel low confidence in this area of the work or have limited knowledge and skills in working with these adults.
This workshop will provide an overview of common mental health issues many parents/caregivers experience and support child therapists to recognise these presentations in their practice. Special consideration will also be given to the impacts of a parent’s fertility journey, family violence, and intergenerational trauma.
This workshop will also offer foundational therapeutic skills for supporting parents/caregiver engagement and in doing so, identify opportunities for enhancements to the structures and processes of your service that best support these adults – so they can best support their children!
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Recognise common mental health presentations and other vulnerabilities commonly experienced by parents/caregivers, and how these present in your clinical work
- Understand the impacts of distress on parenting capacity and key principles for responding
- Increased confidence using foundational adult counselling skills when working with parents/caregivers
- Identify opportunities for enhancements to your service’s structures and processes that supports parent/caregiver engagement
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This workshop is essential for all mental health clinicians working with children – e.g. psychologists, play therapists, counsellors, social workers, OTs. It is also relevant for those working in the NDIS system, and more broadly with children/parents/families across family and community services, Child Safety Services, OoHC and education sectors.