I help parents solve issues with their children by teaching them to use a hands-on approach that helps them get in touch with their feelings and beliefs about a problem before trying to solve it. Parent and child or teen use expressive tools to build their “world” using symbolic items to figure out for themselves their needs, wishes, and values.

 

They then learn to come together and work collaboratively on a solution that’s consistent with their values and needs. After working with the intuitive, creative aspect of communicating, the parent and child learn a problem-solving technique for respectful listening and perspective-taking.

 

In this 5-week program, parents take home a template they can apply to a variety of parenting situations.