Parent Coaching: Building Therapeutic Partnerships with Parents

Stark & Watson welcomes you to the one-day online workshop “Parent Coaching: Building Therapeutic Partnerships with Parents,” which will take place on December 19, 2026.

The aim of the workshop is to connect the core principles of family-centered intervention and adult learning with practical strategies for communication, feedback, and shared decision-making.

Parent Coaching is a structured, collaborative process through which the therapist supports parents in observing their child more effectively, identifying communication opportunities, and applying appropriate strategies within natural, everyday interactions.

But how can therapists move from the role of the “expert who gives instructions” to that of a collaborative partner and facilitator? How can an effective Parent Coaching session be structured? And how can therapists support parents who feel overwhelmed or guilty, or who find it difficult to implement recommended strategies at home?

The goal is to establish a therapeutic partnership in which parents are not passive recipients of instructions, but active and equal partners in the intervention process.

Topics Covered

During the workshop, the following topics will be explored:

• What Parent Coaching really is—and what it is not.

• The difference between providing information, giving guidance, educating, and coaching.

• Core principles of family-centered intervention.

• Why simply providing instructions often does not lead to meaningful change.

• Principles of adult learning and how parents learn best.

• Building a safe and collaborative therapeutic relationship.

• Exploring the family’s needs, priorities, and everyday circumstances.

• Co-creating functional and realistic goals.

• Structuring an effective Parent Coaching session.

• Observing parent-child interactions.

• Using questions that promote observation and reflection.

• Demonstration, guided practice, and the gradual transfer of responsibility to the parent.

• Providing feedback in a clear, supportive, and non-judgmental manner.

• Integrating intervention strategies into the family’s everyday routines.

• Monitoring implementation and progress.

• Managing challenging situations, such as:

o resistance or reluctance;

o guilt and anxiety;

o low participation;

o inconsistent implementation;

o differences in priorities between the therapist and the family;

o expectations that do not align with the child’s needs.

• Maintaining professional boundaries while respecting the parent’s role.

• Applying the core principles through examples and illustrative clinical cases.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• distinguish Parent Coaching from traditional counseling or simply providing instructions;

• structure an effective and systematic parent coaching session;

• use questions and feedback that promote active parental participation;

• co-create functional and realistic goals with families;

• integrate therapeutic strategies into the child’s everyday activities and routines;

• approach challenging or sensitive situations in collaboration with parents with greater confidence;

• support the generalization of skills beyond the therapy session.

Cancellation Policy

A Cancellation Policy Applies.

The company/organizer reserves the right to cancel or postpone the workshop up to ten (10) days before the scheduled date for organizational reasons or due to an insufficient number of participants.