Child and Parent Relationship Therapy

Learn more about this group work model.

Child and Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) is completed over a twelve-week period.  The CPRT model is related to the Filial Therapy model.  It is heavily backed by research, which demonstrates that  motivated, informed parents can be as effective as a professional Therapist in helping their child.   Both the Individual and Group Therapy models have a clear process and a beginning, middle, and end which is attractive to parents. 

The benefits for agencies of the group model is that it's cost-effective and when carefully selected, the group becomes their own source of support. Up to 6-8 couples can be trained at once catering for around 6 to 18 children depending how many children there are in the family. CPRT be delivered by two specially trained Play Therapists (trained to deliver both individual and group models) or one Therapist and a previously trained parent/specialist social worker. There is a lot of vicarious learning from each other which enhances the parents' skill base.

 

HOW CAN IT HELP?

  • Help children become more aware of their feelings and how to communicate and regulate them.

  • Build children’s trust and confidence in their parents.

  • As a psychoeducational Family model, both parents are trained and all family members are involved to affect the greatest change.

  • Regain a sense of control as a parent

  • Increase parents’ understanding of their children’s feelings, behaviours, and overall development.

  • Help parents try new skills with their children in a non-threatening and supportive environment of play sessions.

  • Enhance parent-child relationships.

  • Have fun whilst you learn.

 

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

  •  Initial assessment via Filial child Observation and child therapist demos to assess whether the family are appropriate for group model.

  • Building up week by week the 4 skills using a range of methods

  • Work through a comprehensive manual

  • Practice conducting special play times

  • Watching Videos of actual play therapy sessions conducted by parents

  • Watching your own Play therapy sessions and hearing positive team feedback.  Parents share videos of their Filial Therapy sessions with the group so that therapists can see first hand the progress that the children and their family are making rather than self -report by the parents which is the model that many parenting programmes follow.

  • Enjoyable relationship enhancing feedback

  • The chance to engage in a therapeutic intervention that’s child led and done with rather than done to your child.

  • Ask questions of adopters who are trained in Filial Therapy.

  • Being recognised as you being the EXPERT on YOUR child/ren