Engaging Parents: Overcoming Parental Resistance in Child and Family Therapy

Many clinicians know to create lasting therapeutic change in a family, they must get buy-in from the parent(s), but engaging parents in a therapeutic setting can be challenging. Even experienced clinicians sometimes feel they are fighting a losing battle when working with parents who are resistant. Learning to work with parents more effectively increases therapeutic success, decreases cancellations and early termination, and lays the foundation for lasting change in a family.

In this two-hour continuing education web conference, licensed clinical social worker and parenting coach, Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, will focus on what it means to work effectively with resistant parents and keep them engaged during the therapeutic process. She will explain the role a parent plays in a family’s ability to change and successfully maintain those changes, as well as share strategies she has developed to bypass parental resistance and develop a therapeutic alliance that empowers parents and heals families.

Mercedes will share her experience working with parents and educating them on the importance of their role as head of a family system. She will demonstrate how she conveys the importance of the family’s reliance on the strength of a confident parent, especially during times of increased stress and emotional upheaval. Attendees will learn strategies to engage parents, overcome therapeutic barriers, and manage common family system challenges to promote successful healing.

This introductory instructional level web conference is designed to help clinicians:

1. Explain the process of parental identity development.
2. Discuss parental defense mechanisms and parent shame.
3. Describe strategies for developing a therapeutic relationship with parents.
4. Recognize countertransference when working with parents. 
5. Implement strategies to manage and document crisis with parents and families.

If you have any questions or concerns about this web conference or would like more information, please contact us here.

Event Reviews from Members

Great delivery! Enjoyed how she highlighted storytelling, the defense mechanisms that parents employ, and how to address them in a non-defensive, supportive way. - Timeka Hayes, MA, LMHC, CCTP

This is a must-see for clinicians who work with children and families. - Janeen Herskovitz, LMHC

Continuing Education (CE) Information

Two CE contact hours will be provided by GoodTherapy.org for attending this web conference in its entirety. 

GoodTherapy.org is an Approved Education Provider by NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals (provider #135463). Of the eight counselor skill groups ascribed to by NAADAC, this course is classified within Counseling Services. 

GoodTherapy.org is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy.org, SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0395.

GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

To receive CE credit hours for an archived event, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 12 or 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events generally are considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can attend this live web conference for $30.95 or access the homestudy recording for $15.50. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

If the event is canceled by GoodTherapy, registrants who purchased the event will be notified and the charge for the event will be refunded

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact us.

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