Compassionate Parenting

These days, there are countless methods being introduced as the “best” way to parent. The truth is, whether you’re a working mom or a stay-at-home dad, there are many good and healthy ways to be a parent. There is no one-size fits all approach. While they vary greatly in technique, a flaw in many of these methods  is the exaggerated pressure on parents to look outward. Most parenting advice instructs on how to be with children in order to control or modify their behavior. Yet, research has shown that there is one thing all people can do to be a better parent…focus on themselves.

In order for parents to have a positive effect on their children, they must be willing to look at their own past. How does their childhood inform their style of parenting? Every person can hugely benefit their children by learning and practicing self-understanding. In this eCourse, Dr. Lisa Firestone and child mental health specialist Joyce Catlett will draw on 30 years of key research and their own clinical experience to introduce the compassionate approach to parenting. This five-week course will highlight vital steps all parents can take to better understand themselves and the ways they relate to and affect their children.

This eCourse will also include a special Live Q & A Session with Dr. Dan Siegel, internationally recognized child psychiatrist, interpersonal neurobiologist, and author.

The course will help parents to:

• Exercise compassion toward themselves and their experiences

• Make a cohesive narrative out of their story

• Understand the deep emotions triggered by interactions with their children

• Be mindful of influences from their past

• Conquer critical self-attacks that undermine their ability to parent

• Understand their attachment style with their own parents and their children

• Learn to see and feel for their children as separate and unique individuals

• Raise kids with a true sense of self-worth

• Learn the essential distinction between self-compassion over self-esteem

• Practice mindfulness and calmness in moments of stress

• Learn hands-on tools to acknowledge, communicate with and discipline their children

By getting to know themselves and their history, parents can become far more attuned to and mindful of their child’s needs separate from their own unconscious projections. Parents can focus on taking care of their own mental health, so they don’t “act out” in irrational or emotional ways toward their kids. They can learn to provide a secure base for their children, while allowing them to explore their world as free and able individuals.

When parents ask themselves the question of what kind of child they want to raise, they must recognize the ways their own feelings and behaviors shape this human being. This course asks parents to have a passion for their own lives that will naturally extend to their children, to lead by example and be brave in their willingness to know themselves. By gaining a strong sense of themselves, practicing compassionate and mindful parenting, people give their children a solid foundation from which to build their own emerging sense of self.

All course materials will be made available online for individuals to tune-in at their own pace, including:

Weekly in-depth multimedia presentations 

 Videos from expert psychologists

 Self-reflective journal exercises and quizzes

 Enlightening reading assignments

Interactive forums

Live Q & A sessions 

Dr. Lisa Firestone is the Director of Research and Education at The Glendon Association. An accomplished and much requested lecturer, Dr. Firestone speaks at national and international conferences in the areas of couple relations, parenting, and suicide and violence prevention. Dr. Firestone has published numerous professional articles, and most recently was the co-author of Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships(APA Books, 2006), Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice (New Harbinger, 2002),Creating a Life of Meaning and Compassion: The Wisdom of Psychotherapy (APA Books, 2003) and The Self Under Siege (Routledge, 2012).

Joyce Catlett, M.A., author and lecturer, is a child mental health specialist. Ms. Catlett began her career in psychology in 1972, working with autistic children at the Camarillo State Hospital Children’s Treatment Center in Camarillo, CA. A founding member of Glendon Association, she has been a national lecturer and workshop facilitator in the areas of child abuse prevention and couple relations. Ms. Catlett was also instrumental in the development and training of instructors in the Compassionate Child Rearing Education Program and in training mental health professionals in Voice Therapy Methodology. She has collaborated with Dr. Robert Firestone in writing 12 books and numerous professional articles. Most recently, she co-authored Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships (APA Books, 2005), Beyond Death Anxiety: Achieving Life-Affirming Death Awareness (Springer Publishing, 2009) and The Ethics of Interpersonal Relationships (Karnac Books, 2009), with Robert Firestone  PhD.

How much time will the eCourse take each week?

Each week there is 1-1.5 hours worth of video and multimedia presentations. There will also be self-reflective exercises and supplementary readings each week that may take an additional 30-60 minutes to complete. All of the course materials are available online for you to access at any time. There is no pressure for you to complete each week’s coursework during the week that it is assigned; you are more than welcome to go at your own pace! Many of our eCourse students take 8-10 weeks to finish a 6 week course. 

Do I have to attend the eCourse at certain times? Are the presentations live?

PsychAlive’s eCourses are made up of several features (including: multimedia presentations, expert videos, self-reflective exercises, interactive forums, etc.) all of which will be available on our eCourse website for you to view (or review) at your convenience. You can log on anytime you choose and watch the presentations at the times that are most convenient to you. The only live element will be the Q&A sessions.

I am unable to attend the live Q&A sessions. What can I do?

If you are unable to attend the live Q&A sessions, you can email us your questions in advance and watch for your answers when the Q&A is posted on the website 24 hours later.

Can I begin an eCourse after it has already started?

Yes, you can begin an eCourse anytime. However, you may miss out on the opportunity to ask questions in the live Q&A sessions or interact with your classmates in the discussion forum.

Is there an interactive element to the course? Can you interact with classmates and the teacher?

Students can interact with one another in the discussion forums. Each week, the instructor posts questions to spark discussions and students are encouraged to post their own questions, as well.

Are Continuing Education credits (CEs) offered for this course?

No, there are no CEs offered for this course. 

I am having trouble accessing my course. What should I do?

Email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help you.