Parent First: Empowering You Before Your Child Starts Therapy is designed to equip parents with essential parenting tools, emotional regulation strategies, and a foundational understanding of therapeutic approaches before their child begins therapy. This self-paced program aims to help parents actively participate in the healing process and create a stable, responsive home environment. **Course Goal:** To equip parents with essential parenting tools, emotional regulation strategies, and a foundational understanding of therapeutic approaches before their child begins therapy, so they can actively participate in the healing process and create a stable, responsive home environment. **Modules:** **Module 1: Foundations of Effective Parenting for Healing** - Lesson 1.1: Why Parent Training Comes First - Understanding your role in your child’s therapy success - The parent-child dynamic as a healing relationship - What therapists wish parents knew before starting - Lesson 1.2: Shifting from Fixing to Supporting - Reframing your role: Parent as coach, not controller - Releasing guilt and blame - How your nervous system affects your child **Module 2: Emotional Regulation for Parents** - Lesson 2.1: The Calm Parent = The Safe Parent - Understanding co-regulation - Tools to manage your own triggers and stress - Lesson 2.2: Regulating in Real Time - Scripts and phrases for heated moments - Breathwork, grounding, and nervous system resets **Module 3: Understanding Your Child’s Brain & Behavior** - Lesson 3.1: What’s Actually Going On in Your Child’s Brain - Brain development basics (0–12) - Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses - Lesson 3.2: Why Kids Act Out: Behavior as Communication - The meaning beneath defiance, tantrums, and shutdowns - Attachment needs and unmet safety signals **Module 4: Parenting Styles That Heal** - Lesson 4.1: From Control to Connection - Authoritative vs. permissive vs. therapeutic parenting - Core beliefs that shape your parenting style - Lesson 4.2: Love & Logic + Montessori + Relational Approaches - Blending structure with softness - Encouraging autonomy and responsibility in your child **Module 5: Practical Parenting Tools That Work** - Lesson 5.1: Setting Boundaries Without Shame - Natural consequences and firm kindness - Creating consistency without punishment - Lesson 5.2: Praise, Reinforcement & Building Self-Esteem - “Flipping your script” to focus on what’s going well - Teaching skills through modeling and play **Module 6: Preparing for Therapy Success** - Lesson 6.1: What to Expect When Your Child Starts Therapy - Goals, timelines, confidentiality, and collaboration - How to talk to your child about therapy - Lesson 6.2: Partnering with Your Therapist - Questions to ask - Tracking progress and reinforcing skills at home **Bonus Materials:** - Printable parenting scripts for common scenarios - Emotion regulation cheat sheet for parents - A guided reflection journal - "When I Feel Triggered" worksheet - Weekly home activity tracker - Resource list: Books, podcasts, and apps for parents **Course Format:** - 6 core modules (each with 2–3 short videos, PDFs, and exercises) - Weekly self-reflection prompts - Access to private parent Q&A group or forum - Optional 1:1 coaching add-on