Many therapy treatment models for children involve a combination of the identified patient and family. Clinical psychologists and social workers routinely consult, teach, and support the parents of the children/adolescents they are treating. However, parenting consultation, which can sometimes be referred to as parent training, is also a highly successful standalone treatment. Clinical evidence shows that parent training decreases problematic behaviors in children and adolescents while simultaneously increasing parental confidence. Further, clinical data suggests that parents self-report an improvement in the relationship with their child.
As a parent, you’re likely thinking that this makes a lot of sense. Who better to help a child with their sleep problems than the parent who is getting up in the middle of the night? Who better to help a child with social anxiety than the caregiver who braces themselves for an anxious meltdown before a birthday party? In the parent consultation treatment model, therapists teach the teachers who spend the most time in the parenting classroom – moms, dads, or caregivers.
As in many Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) modalities, this treatment is comprised of several different parts and begins with educating parents on the presenting problem or developmental phase of the child. Other common components of this therapy include helping parents to confidently establish household routines, increase positive attention, parental perspective-taking, and increasing overall parental knowledge and confidence in responding effectively to their child or adolescent. The therapist spends time in sessions reviewing scenarios that relate to the child’s problem and gives parents an opportunity to practice ways to respond. In some cases, therapists view videos of common pre-recorded parenting situations and talk about what they noticed. In between sessions, parents are tasked to practice these responses throughout the week. The successes and opportunities for improvement are reviewed with the therapist the following session.
Another important layer to parent consultation is helping parents understand and address their own anxiety, concerns, or beliefs about their child or adolescent’s behavior. Addressing parents’ own feelings, judgements, and personal coping styles can be an effective way of helping parents manage their own stress and thus model healthy coping at home.
Depending on the intensity of the problem, parenting consultation can be a short-term or longer-term mode of treatment. There are many common child and adolescent topics that are appropriate for treatment using parenting consultation. Some of these include:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Mild to Moderate Anxiety
- Mild to Moderate Depression
- Child/Adolescent Sleep Problems
- Excessive Video Game use
- Puberty and the Transition to Adolescence
- Grief and Loss
CBT Westport has several trained clinicians with experience in parent consultation. If you think your family would benefit, please reach out to find out more.