Parenting interventions

Who is suitable for a parenting intervention?

At HSR Psychology, parenting interventions may be suitable for any parent or carer who wants support with understanding and meeting their child’s needs.

Parenting interventions may be suitable for parents who: 

• Don’t know what to do 
• Feel as though they have tried everything
• Feel as though nothing works
• Have a child that has a SEND
• Have difficulties understanding their child needs
• Require effective techniques for maximising their child’s potential
• Feel unconfident in their role as a parent or carer
• Have an at-risk family e.g due to poverty, or looked after status

To find out how a parenting intervention could be useful for you or someone you know then please contact us to find out more.

What are the benefits of a parenting intervention?

Parenting interventions brings many benefits for the parent/carer and child or young person, including:

• Effective techniques for maximising a child’s potential 
• Effective strategies for dealing with the stress of parenthood
• Increased confidence in the role of parent/carer
• Increased understanding of child development and needs
• Improved coping with the stress of parenting
• Improved stability of parent-child relationship
• Ability to understand the perspective of the child or young person

Followinga parenting intervention there will be several recommendations for supporting the young person, this will help you to maintain a good level of confidence and understanding.

What happens prior to a parenting intervention?

A parenting intervention can be carried out following the initial discussion. Our process is outlined below.

What happens during a parenting intervention?

Primarily, the HSR Psychology team member will often work to give the parent/carer a greater insight into how their child might be developing physically, mentally and emotionally. If the child or young person has a SEND, the psychologist may explain to the parent/carer how their child or young person is developing differently to the general population. The parent/carer will usually learn techniques for coping with the stresses of parenthood and strategies for helping their child(ren) maximise their potential. The parent might be encouraged to take the perspective of the child during unique scenarios which will improve their parent-child relationship. Parenting interventions can take the form of one-to-one sessions, group training or workshops.

What happens after a parenting intervention?

After a parenting intervention we will have a clear idea of a child or young person’s needs and how to reach their true potential. Following a parenting intervention it may be found to be appropriate that we plan follow up sessions, if required. The outcomes from a parenting intervention can be given to you through a feedback session, and an additional written report if needed. We offer follow up support to ensure that you are supported throughout the entire process of an intervention.

Does a parenting intervention come with a report?

Comprehensive reports are always recommended after an intervention. This will include what took place during our input, the impact of this involvement and recommendations for going forward into the future. One of our comprehensive reports is available following a parenting intervention highlighting effective strategies unique to the individual's situation. Reasons for requesting a parenting intervention vary. Verbal feedback can be provided alongside a short summary if a full written report is not required. You can read about our reports here.

How a parenting intervention helped John

John found it difficult to support his son’s behavioural outbursts, so he came to us to support his son. Find out how we helped.

John’s son Tom has ADHD and John came to HSR Psychology for help. Tom would often be suspended from school due to disruptive behaviour, this caused John a lot of stress and anxiety. John wanted us to help him to understand his son’s condition and how he could help reduce Tom’s behavioural outbursts.

We worked with the school, John and Tom to raise awareness of the difficulties that Tom was experiencing. John was taught some useful coping strategies for dealing with difficult situations e.g. when Tom would throw objects out of frustration. Not only did we advise John on how to reduce this behaviour and calm Tom, but we also equipped him with techniques for keeping himself calm and collected. At school, an action plan was implemented to support Tom when in school, this included having one-to-one sessions with the school’s SENCO.

Due to our involvement Tom’s support system was strengthened, both in school and outside of school. Within school, Tom’s concentration improved, leading to fewer suspensions from school. At home, John was able to understand his son on a new level, leading to a strengthened bond between them. By using a joined-up approach we made sure that John felt supported from different angles, which led to a reduction in his stress and anxiety levels so he could best support his son, Tom.