Working with Difficult Parents and Guardians

COURSE DATE
30 March 2023 (9 am to 5 pm)
Course Fee
Normal Fees: S$580
SkillsFuture Credit: Can use fully or partially
NTUC UTAP: Reimbursement of 50% of course fees (up to $250/year)
NCSS VCF Pre- Approval Funding: $174
​​Schools & Ministries: e-invoicing via vendor.gov
Delivery Mode
In-Person. Classroom
about the trainer
Ms Lim Eng Choon holds a Master degree in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy. Eng Choon was a Ministry of Education- trained school teacher in a secondary school before spending a year in overseas missions outreach to families in Hyderabad, India.

After returning to Singapore, she worked as a rehabilitation counsellor in a mental health setting for two years followed by a family service centre for nine years. She is a certified PREPARE/ENRICH facilitator and a qualified practitioner for the management of family violence cases (Mandatory Counselling Program).

Her experience was further enriched when she worked in the Institute of Mental Health for another nine years as a Senior Medical Social Worker and Family therapist. She worked with patients with a variety of mental health issues like depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and personality disorder. ​
What Participants say
Strategies to manage difficult carers are very practical. Good role play practice in class - Social Worker in a social service agency 

This workshop is extremely relevant and useful. It gave me lots of ideas to begin managing my difficult parents better - Clinical Psychologist

I learned how to engage with parents especially to get their buy-in to help the children - Head of Student Development in a local school 

​Course Overview

Whether you are a social worker, school teacher, psychologist or counsellor, managing parents and other carers of children and adolescents you are responsible for can be challenging and indeed, even intimidating. Carers can be guardians, grandparents, etc., who have primary responsibility and control over the ward who may be a student in your class or a youth seeking help from you, a social worker. Unless you can secure their support (or at least not hinder your work), you will have limited success. Hence, although it is true that you are not responsible for the actions of the carers, it is nevertheless critical to learn practical skills to understand and manage them appropriately in order to reach your goal of effectively helping your child. 

In a uniquely interesting fashion, this skills training workshop will examine the presenting issues and then propose useful frameworks based on psychological principles as handles to better understand and provide practical interventions.  Participants will learn proven techniques on how to circumvent difficult parents, protect their ward, as well as themselves, from toxic effects. 

The workshop starts on a lively note with participants sharing some difficult carers' behaviours that they have encountered at work and the effects on affected persons. A categorisation of different types of difficult carers are discussed. The impact on children and adolescents is examined in the various dimensions: academic, emotional, social and behavioural. Similarly, the participants will understand possible impacts on themselves as people-helpers. 

Psychologically-derived frameworks are introduced at suitable junctures to help participants to: (1) clarify the reasons behind difficult behaviours, and structure a careful approach to motivate caregivers; (2) work with wounded children impacted by difficult caregiving behaviours. The workshop concludes with self-care techniques for the participants.

Target Audience
  • HOD Student Management, HOD Discipline
  • School Counsellors, AEDs & Teachers
  • Social Workers & Counsellors working in VWOs

Duration
7 hours

Workshop Topics:

Part A: Case sharing

Participants are invited to share cases encountered at their workplaces and the impacts that resulted. Manifestations of different behaviours are identified. This section concludes by categorizing different types of difficult carers into broad groups. Their characteristics are examined.
Activity: Group Discussion

Part B: Emotional and behavioural manifestations of difficult carers (A family systems perspective)

Participants will be introduced to some common family dynamics, how these dynamics may be contributing to behavioural and emotional manifestations of carers. Participants will review the wide-ranging long-term and short-term impacts on the child: academic, emotional, social and behavioural.

Activity: Case study

Part C: How the behaviours of difficult carers affect YOU

Similarly, the long- and short-term effects on the participants are examined. Participants will be encouraged to be introspective and to reflect on how they feel, behave and think when working with difficult carers. Internal dialogues and self-reflexivity will be explored.

Activity: Self-reflexivity exercise

Part D: Strategies to manage difficult carers

Participants will be taught different strategies to engage and work with difficult carers. Some techniques from the Motivational Interviewing approach will be introduced. This approach emphasises using a directive, carer-centered style of interaction to promote behavioural change by helping them explore and resolve ambivalence. Specific strategies to work with the different carer types, manage difficult interaction with carers like escalating tension, aggression, manipulation or control will also be taught.

Activity: Role plays, skills practice and video discussion

Part E: Supporting wounded children and adolescents

Different ways of engaging in meaningful, life-giving conversations with the young ones will be introduced to examine their false beliefs due to the presenting situation, work through emotional hurts, and progressively build resilience.

Activity: Group Discussion

Part F: Self-Care Techniques

This workshop concludes with techniques that participants can use for self-care. 

​Activity: More self-reflexivity exercises