The Anna Freud Reflective Parenting Programme (RP) is a six week psycho-educational course (up to 12 hours contact), delivered online, to stimulate a stronger parent-infant bond. Attendees can expect to gain a better understanding of baby’s emotions & behaviour, an increase in emotional connection with their baby and any older children, and the chance to practise strategies to help de-escalate conflict and reduce emotional outbursts.
The core thread of the programme is to promote the ability of a parent to understand the thoughts, feelings and needs of both themselves and their children, and whilst a clearly structured and manualised programme, the sessions take their lead from the participant’s examples – so everyone feels heard, validated through the peer support group setting and so increasingly confident to reflect upon and begin to challenge their perception of what the parent-infant relationship can look and feel like.
Progress on the course is measured via a Brief Parental Self-Efficacy Scale (BPSES), taken pre and post intervention, as well as via course specific outcome feedback, e.g.
‘I am now better equipped to consider my own mental state more regularly’
‘I’m more aware of how I was raised, and how this impacts on my parenting’
‘I more readily accept that my child’s perspective is different from my own’
Parents in Mind staff are accredited RP facilitators. Referrals to the RP programme come through our existing peer support pathway, offered to parents and their partners. This ‘formal’ course is engaged with excellently alongside the peer support service, particularly by those parents who may be resistant to ‘professional’ intervention…the Parents in Mind peer support space affording all clients a ;non-judgemental’, accessible options, which provides the wrap around peer support service in which parents can further unpack parenting reflections inspired by the programme.
‘I just feel so aware of myself more now - and more confident that my parenting ways are important to me for a reason! I’ve gone through a real journey on this course.’
‘I hadn’t realised how much I have turned into my own dad…it’s been a real eye-opener seeing I’ve picked up habits that I hated him having a kid. It’s given me a lot to think about, and strategies to help me do that too. It’s been excellent.’
To refer a parent into the Reflective Parenting programme please contact them via email at parentsinmind@nct.org.uk – this can also be for self-referrals too!