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.