FAQ
What is the Reflective Parenting Program?
The Reflective Parenting Program offers an innovative approach to parenting. Individuals learn to be strong, effective parents while remaining sensitive and responsive to their child's needs. The program helps parents successfully navigate and repair the disruptions that inevitably occur within the parent-child relationship. We help parents understand the often subtle, nonverbal cues that accompany a child's behavior as meaningful communications - a skill that facilitates healthy development and secure attachments. In our workshops for parents, developmentally appropriate parenting topics are used to stimulate discussion and reflection about a wide range of parenting issues. Along with these parenting workshops, the Program is also engaged in research, development, and in training mental health professionals.
Are Reflective Parenting Program workshops relevant for parents of children of all ages?
Yes! The Reflective Parenting Program offers prenatal groups; groups for parents of children aged 0 - 2 years; groups for parents of children aged 3-6 years; groups for parents of children aged 7 -12 years and groups for parents of children aged 12 - 17 years. Each workshop series is geared towards the specific needs of parents of children of that age and developmental range.
Are these workshops also for fathers? Couples? Non-traditional families?
Our workshops are open to anyone who is a parent. We have many couples who attend, single moms and dads, parents of adopted children, and LGBT parents. If you have specific questions please contact one of our staff members.
Are these groups for English-speaking parents only?
No. We also have groups for Spanish-speaking parents. Please contact Reflective Parenting for a list of these workshops.
My child is behaving aggressively and I want to learn about discipline. Will the Reflective Parenting Program address this issue?
Yes! The Reflective Parenting Program workshops cover a range of topics including discipline and helping children (and adults!) manage their angry feelings. The Program is geared towards helping parents with some of the most heated and difficult experiences that they face with their children, using an approach that is focused on the very particular individual needs of the parent and child. Rather than using a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to these issues, we look together for specific meanings and interventions that will work for each child and each family.
What other topics are covered in your workshops?
Topics include (but are not limited to): Understanding Your Child's Temperament, Responding to Your Child's Distress, Separation, The Importance of Play, Discipline, Dealing With Anger.
I am a second-time mom and am not sure which age-group curriculum will be most relevant for me.
Many parents coming to our groups have more than one child, and facilitators are trained to respond to the different and diverse parenting issues that arise with different age groups. However, a Reflective Parenting Program staff member is available to help you make a decision about which workshop may be most relevant for you.
What should I expect when I come to my first group?
At the point at which you call to enroll in a group, you will be invited to meet a staff member from the Reflective Parenting Program who will answer your questions about the workshop experience and find out more about your specific parenting concerns. However, each workshop of the 10-12 week program has a similar structure: discussion of the previous week's take home exercise, information sharing about a specific topic, and discussion and reflection about parenting concerns.
I am really having a tough time and I am worried about dealing with my issues in a group forum, what should I do?
Many parents joining our groups feel overwhelmed and concerned that their needs may not be met in a group experience. Some feel embarrassed about airing their concerns in a public forum. However, our trained group facilitators are sensitive to this and will make sure that you feel supported and comfortable in a group setting with other parents who likely have similar concerns. Most parents end up finding the experience of thinking with other parents, along with trained facilitators, a very helpful and supportive experience.
How many parents are in a group?
You should expect anywhere from 6 - 10 parents in a group.
How long is each workshop series?
Each workshop series is between 10-12 weeks in length.
Do you offer childcare?
Parents usually need to arrange their own childcare. However, in certain settings, childcare may be offered by the facility or agency.
How do I get in contact with a staff member at the Reflective Parenting Program?
Call the Reflective Parenting Program at the Center for Reflective Parenting 323-275-4805 and leave a message or email us at info@reflectiveparenting.org with your phone number and someone will return your call.
I am so pulled now between all of the groups everyone is telling me to join, what do you suggest?
This is really tough. There are great options out there and most of the groups offer great support. However, the Reflective Parenting Program is one of the only programs for parents that targets increasing parental reflective capacity, shown in research to be positively linked to secure infant attachment and outcomes such as increased cognitive skills, language ability, emotional regulation and social intelligence across the lifespan. Our groups are based on this research, and we also collect and publish our own research based on the experiences of our group members. For more information about this research, or if you have any questions about our groups, please contact one of our staff members.
I have heard the word "attachment" used in a couple of different ways such as "attachment therapies," and "Holding or Rage Reduction Therapies" that claim to focus on attachment. How are these models similar to or different from the approach of the Reflective Parenting Program?
Many of the "Attachment Therapies" such as those known as the "Holding Therapies" cite attachment theory as emphasizing the importance of early experiences of close bodily contact in fostering attachment security and basic trust in infants. These approaches differ in a number of ways from those advocated by research-based interventions informed by current attachment theory. They may focus on the importance of facilitating connection and emotional closeness with children, while failing to see that attachment is also about helping children to feel comfortable with exploration and autonomy within situations where they can handle greater independence. Another difference between the RPP approach and holding therapies for example is that holding therapies intervene directly with the child, as they tend to see the problem as an internal issue rather than as something that can be addressed as a relational issue. Because attachment is about relationship, most research informed models work with the parent-child dyad or with the parent to attempt to increase the reflective capacities in the parent that can help children to feel more secure and trusting in their relationships with their caregivers. Programs such as the RPP that are grounded in attachment theory are more likely to see negative child behaviors as driven by the child's difficulty with self-regulation and the anxiety or fear that is stimulated when they need help with emotional regulation from their caregivers. Therefore, they see negative behaviors, even aggressive ones, as needing empathy, support, guidance, and compassionate containment on the part of the parent as the best way to respond to their children's out of control feelings and behaviors.
What is the Reflective Parenting Program?
The Reflective Parenting Program offers an innovative approach to parenting. Individuals learn to be strong, effective parents while remaining sensitive and responsive to their child's needs. The program helps parents successfully navigate and repair the disruptions that inevitably occur within the parent-child relationship. We help parents understand the often subtle, nonverbal cues that accompany a child's behavior as meaningful communications - a skill that facilitates healthy development and secure attachments. In our workshops for parents, developmentally appropriate parenting topics are used to stimulate discussion and reflection about a wide range of parenting issues. Along with these parenting workshops, the Program is also engaged in research, development, and in training mental health professionals.
Are Reflective Parenting Program workshops relevant for parents of children of all ages?
Yes! The Reflective Parenting Program offers prenatal groups; groups for parents of children aged 0 - 2 years; groups for parents of children aged 3-6 years; groups for parents of children aged 7 -12 years and groups for parents of children aged 12 - 17 years. Each workshop series is geared towards the specific needs of parents of children of that age and developmental range.
Are these workshops also for fathers? Couples? Non-traditional families?
Our workshops are open to anyone who is a parent. We have many couples who attend, single moms and dads, parents of adopted children, and LGBT parents. If you have specific questions please contact one of our staff members.
Are these groups for English-speaking parents only?
No. We also have groups for Spanish-speaking parents. Please contact Reflective Parenting for a list of these workshops.
My child is behaving aggressively and I want to learn about discipline. Will the Reflective Parenting Program address this issue?
Yes! The Reflective Parenting Program workshops cover a range of topics including discipline and helping children (and adults!) manage their angry feelings. The Program is geared towards helping parents with some of the most heated and difficult experiences that they face with their children, using an approach that is focused on the very particular individual needs of the parent and child. Rather than using a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to these issues, we look together for specific meanings and interventions that will work for each child and each family.
What other topics are covered in your workshops?
Topics include (but are not limited to): Understanding Your Child's Temperament, Responding to Your Child's Distress, Separation, The Importance of Play, Discipline, Dealing With Anger.
I am a second-time mom and am not sure which age-group curriculum will be most relevant for me.
Many parents coming to our groups have more than one child, and facilitators are trained to respond to the different and diverse parenting issues that arise with different age groups. However, a Reflective Parenting Program staff member is available to help you make a decision about which workshop may be most relevant for you.
What should I expect when I come to my first group?
At the point at which you call to enroll in a group, you will be invited to meet a staff member from the Reflective Parenting Program who will answer your questions about the workshop experience and find out more about your specific parenting concerns. However, each workshop of the 10-12 week program has a similar structure: discussion of the previous week's take home exercise, information sharing about a specific topic, and discussion and reflection about parenting concerns.
I am really having a tough time and I am worried about dealing with my issues in a group forum, what should I do?
Many parents joining our groups feel overwhelmed and concerned that their needs may not be met in a group experience. Some feel embarrassed about airing their concerns in a public forum. However, our trained group facilitators are sensitive to this and will make sure that you feel supported and comfortable in a group setting with other parents who likely have similar concerns. Most parents end up finding the experience of thinking with other parents, along with trained facilitators, a very helpful and supportive experience.
How many parents are in a group?
You should expect anywhere from 6 - 10 parents in a group.
How long is each workshop series?
Each workshop series is between 10-12 weeks in length.
Do you offer childcare?
Parents usually need to arrange their own childcare. However, in certain settings, childcare may be offered by the facility or agency.
How do I get in contact with a staff member at the Reflective Parenting Program?
Call the Reflective Parenting Program at the Center for Reflective Parenting 323-275-4805 and leave a message or email us at info@reflectiveparenting.org with your phone number and someone will return your call.
I am so pulled now between all of the groups everyone is telling me to join, what do you suggest?
This is really tough. There are great options out there and most of the groups offer great support. However, the Reflective Parenting Program is one of the only programs for parents that targets increasing parental reflective capacity, shown in research to be positively linked to secure infant attachment and outcomes such as increased cognitive skills, language ability, emotional regulation and social intelligence across the lifespan. Our groups are based on this research, and we also collect and publish our own research based on the experiences of our group members. For more information about this research, or if you have any questions about our groups, please contact one of our staff members.
I have heard the word "attachment" used in a couple of different ways such as "attachment therapies," and "Holding or Rage Reduction Therapies" that claim to focus on attachment. How are these models similar to or different from the approach of the Reflective Parenting Program?
Many of the "Attachment Therapies" such as those known as the "Holding Therapies" cite attachment theory as emphasizing the importance of early experiences of close bodily contact in fostering attachment security and basic trust in infants. These approaches differ in a number of ways from those advocated by research-based interventions informed by current attachment theory. They may focus on the importance of facilitating connection and emotional closeness with children, while failing to see that attachment is also about helping children to feel comfortable with exploration and autonomy within situations where they can handle greater independence. Another difference between the RPP approach and holding therapies for example is that holding therapies intervene directly with the child, as they tend to see the problem as an internal issue rather than as something that can be addressed as a relational issue. Because attachment is about relationship, most research informed models work with the parent-child dyad or with the parent to attempt to increase the reflective capacities in the parent that can help children to feel more secure and trusting in their relationships with their caregivers. Programs such as the RPP that are grounded in attachment theory are more likely to see negative child behaviors as driven by the child's difficulty with self-regulation and the anxiety or fear that is stimulated when they need help with emotional regulation from their caregivers. Therefore, they see negative behaviors, even aggressive ones, as needing empathy, support, guidance, and compassionate containment on the part of the parent as the best way to respond to their children's out of control feelings and behaviors.