Child Focussed Parent Therapy is a psychological intervention specifically designed for parents whose children have been diagnosed certain mental and behavioural disorders. It aims at raising awareness of your child’s condition and teaching you develop positive coping mechanisms needed to manage your child’s behaviour and development.
The relationship and interactions you have with your child influence one another. For instance, if your child is hyperactive and defiant, you are likely to become stressed and even angry. The more stressed and angry you become, the more your child acts out. This resulting in a hostile vicious cycle. Child Focused Parent Therapy is an effective approach to stop this cycle.
Child Focussed Parent Therapy looks at:
- Gaining understanding of your child’s condition: This is important as it helps you make sense of your child’s behaviour.
- Gaining understanding of what you can expect from your child: Not knowing what you can realistically expect from your child can result in a great deal of frustration and negatively impact not only your relationship, but also result in your child feeling they are a disappointment. This can result in your child giving up trying to change and their self-esteem be negatively impacted. Learning what to expect gives you insight into your child’s world and increases empathy as well as encouraging positive communication.
- Learning to give commands both verbally and non-verbally: Knowing verbal and behavioural cues is important in communicating with your child in a non-threatening and respectful manner. This encourages positive communication as well as collaboration.
- Learning to praise your child: Trust is important in every relationship including your relationship with your child. By acknowledging your child’s good behaviour and encouraging activities they are good at, you create a safe space where your child feels cared for and acknowledged.
- Learning how to discipline your child: Learning how to discipline your child in a non-threatening and respectful manner is very important to promote positive change.
Reference: https://www.myvmc.com/treatments/parent-training-parent-therapy/