Relationship-Based Child and Family Therapy

Credit

Speaker

Kat Scherer, PhD, MFT Related seminars and products

---

Kat Scherer, PhD, MFT, is a practicing psychologist, educator, and author working in Austin, Texas. She co-founded Austin IN Connection, a multidisciplinary organization focused on emotional health and positive relational attachments. She is also a faculty member at the Practice School of Yoga Therapy.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Kat Scherer maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with Practice School of Yoga and Heart & Work Series. She receives compensation as a speaker and educator. Kat Scherer receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Kat Scherer is a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the International Association of Yoga Therapists, and the American Psychological Association. She is a blogger with Psychology Today.

Elizabeth Sylvester, PhD Related seminars and products

---

Elizabeth Sylvester, PhD, is a clinical psychologist working with children and parents in Austin, Texas. She is an advanced trainer of the Nurtured Heart Approach and specializes in treating highly behaviorally and emotionally intense children. She founded Austin child Therapy, whose mission is to support the work of pediatric mental health professionals.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Elizabeth Sylvester maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Elizabeth Sylvester has no relevant non-financial relationships.

 

 

Additional Info

Program Information

Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info

Access never expires for this product.

Objectives

1. Integrate parents into the child and family therapy arena.
2. Combine neurobiology, attachment, emotion regulation, and discipline into the clinical treatment of children and families.
3. Utilize the 7 essential attachment needs to strengthen the parent-child relationship.
4. Determine the key role of adult emotion regulation on children’s emotional and behavioral regulation.
5. Choose relationship-based discipline practices to reduce clinical symptoms and improve family functioning.
6. Integrate cultural sensitivity and ethical considerations into family and child therapy.

Outline

RELATIONSHIP-BASED TREATMENT APPROACH

The Child in Therapy

Common Presenting Concerns

• Depression or anxiety
• Emotional dysregulation and outbursts
• Low relational connection
• High conflict or oppositionality
• Ineffective or harmful discipline practices

Relationship-Based Treatment Approach

4 Critical Areas of Developmental Science

• Neurobiology and child development
• Parent-child attachment patterns
• Emotional intelligence and regulation
• Healthy learning and discipline

Relationship-Based Assessment

Evaluate Critical Child and Family Issues

• Assess the child’s 7 essential attachment needs
• Signs of child or caregiver dysregulation
• Identify dysfunctional discipline practices
• Differentiate underlying mental health needs
• Who is the client: Child, parent, or both?

TREATMENT APPROACHES AND SKILLS

Neurobiology of Connection

Attachment, oxytocin, mirror neurons and more

• Mental states: Calming the body and polyvagal theory
• Memory and narrative: Implicit and explicit memory, self-stories
• Teachable moments: Neurobiology of learning
• Demonstration: Hand model of emotional states
• Handouts: Physiological and emotional effects of stress and anxiety

Attachment Theory

Harness the power of the parent-child relationship to:

• Shift toward security: What 70 years of research has taught us
• Meet the 7 essential attachment needs
• Foster emotional awareness and regulation
• Create a positive sense of self
• Build healthy and effective discipline practices
• Handout: Annotated list of 7 Essential Attachment Neds
• Discussions: Break out groups/self-reflection

Emotional Regulation

The foundation for resilience and self-worth

• Understand and teach ‘window of tolerance”
• Help kids understand their emotions
• Self-soothing skills for children
• Parent emotional stability in tough times
• Power of positivity and playfulness
• Mindfulness activity for emotional regulation
• Discussions: Break out groups/self-reflection

Relationship-Based Discipline

Neurologically and attachment-sound parenting

• Parents as therapeutic agents
• Discipline = teaching
• The Nurtured Heart Approach®
• Mindful parenting
• Experiential activity: Modeling Reset
• Experiential activity: tone of discipline
• Discussions: Break out groups/self-reflection

Clinical Considerations

• Therapists as regulators and role models
• Therapeutic alliance
• Therapist cultural sensitivity with family rules and values
• Ethical considerations in family therapy
• Limitations of the research and potential risks
• Discussions: Break out groups/self-reflection

Target Audience

• Psychologists
• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Other mental health professionals