There are different ways of working with parents and families. Here at the Healthy minds team, we offer a variety of approaches:
- Parent Group Programmes (Guided Self Help, Incredible Years)
- Parent led CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
- Parent Led Guided Self Help (Co-CAT)
- Systemic Family Practice
Group programmes
The Incredible Years Programme
The Incredible Years programme is aimed at parents or carers of children under 10 years who display challenging behaviours.
The programme aims to support parents and carers to recognise and understand the importance of relationships, praise and incentives and how best to manage challenging behaviours. The programme encourages parents and carers to identify and recognise issues and solutions by using everyday examples.
Find more here.
FRIENDS
South Tyneside Lifecycle & Healthy Minds Team offer access to support groups for children/young people and families. The Friends Programme is aimed for children and young people but parents and carers are also trained to assist in implementing the programme at home and in the community.
Services such as:
- Fun friends (4-7yrs)
- Friends for life (8-11yrs)
- Friends for youth (12-15yrs)
Are available to those in South Tyneside. Find out more about the FRIENDS groups here.
Parents can access the Friend for Life Parents leaflet here.
Parent Training
Parent Led CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
The aim of the programme is to provide strategies to parents that they can use at home to support their child in order for them to overcome their anxiety.
The sessions provide an opportunity to discuss with a therapist how to apply the CBT principles described in the book to their individual circumstances. Techniques are discussed with parents in a collaborative way, asking for their opinion as to how each strategy might work for their child given what they know about them.
The programme is aimed at children aged 5– 12 years whose primary presenting problem relates to anxiety.
One key aim of the programme is to increase the parent’s confidence in their ability to help their child overcome their anxiety. As such, the philosophy of the programme is non-blaming and one that highlights positive skills and responses of the parent, in order to build their confidence and empower them to support their child.
Parent Led Cognitive Behavioural Therapy via Co-Cat. This is a research study our Healthy Minds Team is taking part in delivery to ensure quality and effective treatments for children and young people.
What is this all about?
We are carrying out a study to compare a parent-led treatment which involves access to content on a website and with therapist support throughout for anxiety difficulties in children with the usual treatment that is currently being offered to treat child anxiety difficulties. The study is taking place across England, including in the clinical service that will be
delivering your child’s treatment. For more information about Co-Cat please click on the link below.
Systemic Practice & Family Therapy
What is Systemic Practice?
Systemic practice is a way of thinking about and working with individuals, couples, families, and professional systems. A way of thinking about the relationships between people, relational patterns which are located within contexts.
It may help to think about problems and how they may arise and can be maintained within relationships. These approaches offer a range of ways for inviting and supporting family members to think about and create their desired change.
What does Systemic Psychotherapy mean?
Family therapy & systemic practice is a systemic psychotherapy. This is a psychological therapy to a group or system such as a family system.
Why work as a family?
Families are small and unique communities. Like all communities they sometimes get into difficulties through their differences with one another or feel the strain when members experience troubles.
Family therapy & systemic practice aims to help people in close relationships to help each other. It enables family members to
- express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely
- to understand each other’s experiences and views
- to appreciate each other’s needs
- build on individual and family strengths
- support each other to make useful changes in your relationships
- To build within family ways of coping with difficulties and/or managing stress
What happens in sessions?
In family sessions we look at the family as a whole and talk about your family issues, strengths and areas you might need support to address.
This does not mean you or all your family must attend every session. The therapist may decide whether it is best to see parents and children separately or all together.
To find out more about ‘what is family therapy’ in the videos below:
Find out more about groups & courses available here.