Testimonials:
“One of the best things I’ve done. For me, and for the people I love.” “This has been an incredible journey of insight and realisation. A truly life changing experience.” “This workshop was invaluable in communicating tools for taking control of my own mind, relationships and career!”
COURSE OUTLINE
“Wise Parenting: How to Grow Amazing Kids…
…or, How to Survive Your teenager!”
Face to Face, and Live Online Workshops for Parents
There are 3 versions of this course:
– 3 hour introduction course
– 1 day advanced
– 2 day intensive
Grow yourself, grow your kids.
Wise parenting starts with the “oxygen mask rule” – if you want to support others, you need to take care of yourself first. So, as well as communication skills with others, this workshop examines self-care as a key strategy to support your kids and family.
Wise parenting is learning to take 100% responsibility for what we can control, and learning to recognise and get more comfortable with what we cannot.
The only things we can fully control are, what we say and do – particularly when we respond to difficult situations. We cannot fully control the thoughts or behaviours of others, and that includes our kids. But we can do our darnedest to create an environment where they feel trusted, valued and safe – their sunshine and water – where we role-model; resilience, calm under pressure, and making wise choices. We can “grow” amazing kids.
Join us to learn:
* The 6 key communication skills
* The 4 principles of scream-free parenting
* The MACE technique to diffuse conflict quickly
* & many other skills
Stephen May, Director of the Institute, gives a brief explanation of our work in the video below:
all emotion and meaning is filtered through
story structure
This workshop will teach you: how to grab control of negative stories running in your head and start to tell nurturing new ones – you will be creating an environment within which everyone can grow – you and your kids. We introduce evidence-based techniques to:
- heal old traumas
- embed optimism
- sustain mutual respect
- create a nurturing home environment
HOW you practice is as important as WHAT: Most of us know, in theory, what the important ingredients are for good parenting. The challenge is in doing what is right when under pressure.
There are many courses that “list” the right things to do and discuss these. But lists and knowledge alone do not change habits. The leaders of our institute have tens of thousands of hours of experience in designing and running experiential workshops to teach socio-emotional skills. We use small, unthreatening exercises that help you quickly remap embedded habits – using a rare expertise in the neuroscience of story.
This course helps you harness the power of story structure so that your communication style is positive and “intentional” rather than a knee-jerk reaction when you are upset. These narrative-based techniques include:
Skills for healthy communication with our kids:
- How to help a child find calm when they are “flooded” by their own emotions and “flipping out”.
- How to police “flexible boundaries”.
- How to engender personal responsibility and healthy independence in a child.
- Developing empathetic listening skills (using scripted prompts).
- How to encourage a child to communicate openly with you and choose you as a confidante.
The research-confirmed benefits of addressing these underlying negative stories include:
- A higher sense of well-being
- More harmonious family life
- Improved performance at work and in study
- Improved immune system
- Successful processing of traumatic experiences
How you learn: This is an experiential process; role-playing new skills in a safe environment, talking in small groups, laughing, supporting each other in the realistic knowledge that this is the toughest job on the planet!
Who we are: The Institute for Story-Guided Therapy & Mentoring is a leading international authority on how narrative guides all our attempts to find meaning – supporting Oscar-winners and trauma survivors alike. The lead facilitator for this course is usually Stephen May, the Director of the Institute.
Booking and Fees: we are a not-for-profit organisation and try never to turn away a school/business or individual who would like to attend our workshops. We run bursary schemes with schools and colleges. Contact us direct to let us know your needs.
Standard fees are:
3 hour introductory course – £49 per person
1 day course – £99 per person
2 day course – £199 per person
Minimum booking through schools and organisations is 12 adults.
Contact us for dates and further information: