Working with Difficult Parents (and Other Carers) of Children and Adolescents
Course Overview
Managing parents and other carers of children and adolescents who are under your charge 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 get them to work with you (or at least not hinder your work), you will have limited success. (Note: In this document, the terms, 'parents' and 'caregivers' are used interchangeably.)
Hence, although it is true that you are not responsible for these 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 charge.
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 charge, as well as themselves, from toxic effects.
The workshop starts on a lively note with participants sharing some difficult caregiver behaviours that they have encountered at work and the effects on affected persons. A categorization 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 carers; (2) work with wounded children impacted by difficult caregiving behaviours. The workshop concludes with self-care techniques for the participants.
About the Workshop Facilitator
Dr Lohsnah Jeevanandam is a Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore. She is also Senior Clinical Psychologist in a private clinic, working largely with children and adolescents. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Sydney, Australia and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The University of Queensland, Australia. Dr Jeevanandam is also a Registered Psychologist with the Singapore Psychological Society.
Dr Jeevanandam previously worked at The Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore. She also conducted interviews for candidates for the Public Service Commission scholarship for the Civil Service College.
Dr Jeevanandam teaches several courses for Orego. Her workshops are always very well-received.
Target Audience
Duration
1 day (9 am - 5 pm).
Workshop Topics:
Part A: Case sharing
Participants are invited to share cases encountered at their workplaces and the impacts that resulted. Manifestations of different behaviors are identified. This section concludes by categorizing different types of difficult caregivers into broad groups. Their characteristics are examined.
Activity: Group Discussion
Part B: How the behaviours of difficult carers affect the CHILD and YOU
Research evidences show that children and adolescents can experience different degrees of negative effects due to parental conditions. Participants will review the wide-ranging long-term and short-term impacts on the child: academic, emotional, social and behavioural.
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.
Activity: Case Studies Review
Part C: Looking beyond emotional and behavioural manifestations of difficult carers
Using role play and case studies, participants will explore why caregivers behave in difficult ways. This is an integral stage if overlooked, can lead to more detrimental effects.
Activity: Role-play, Case Studies
Part D: Strategies to manage difficult carers
Participants will be trained how to motivate carers to engage in more adaptive behaviours using the Motivational Interviewing approach. This approach emphasises using a directive, caregiver-centered style of interaction to promote behavioural change by helping them explore and resolve ambivalence.
Activity: Skills practice
Part E: Supporting wounded children and adolescents
A framework based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is introduced as a useful handle for participants to help young ones consciously examine their false beliefs due to the presenting situation, work through resultant hurts, and be more resilient.
Activity: Skills practice
Part F: Self-Care Techniques
This workshop concludes with techniques that participants can use for self-care.
Managing parents and other carers of children and adolescents who are under your charge 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 get them to work with you (or at least not hinder your work), you will have limited success. (Note: In this document, the terms, 'parents' and 'caregivers' are used interchangeably.)
Hence, although it is true that you are not responsible for these 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 charge.
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 charge, as well as themselves, from toxic effects.
The workshop starts on a lively note with participants sharing some difficult caregiver behaviours that they have encountered at work and the effects on affected persons. A categorization 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 carers; (2) work with wounded children impacted by difficult caregiving behaviours. The workshop concludes with self-care techniques for the participants.
About the Workshop Facilitator
Dr Lohsnah Jeevanandam is a Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore. She is also Senior Clinical Psychologist in a private clinic, working largely with children and adolescents. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Sydney, Australia and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The University of Queensland, Australia. Dr Jeevanandam is also a Registered Psychologist with the Singapore Psychological Society.
Dr Jeevanandam previously worked at The Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore. She also conducted interviews for candidates for the Public Service Commission scholarship for the Civil Service College.
Dr Jeevanandam teaches several courses for Orego. Her workshops are always very well-received.
Target Audience
- HOD Student Management, HOD Discipline
- School Counsellors, AEDs & Teachers
- Social Workers & Counsellors working in VWOs
Duration
1 day (9 am - 5 pm).
Workshop Topics:
Part A: Case sharing
Participants are invited to share cases encountered at their workplaces and the impacts that resulted. Manifestations of different behaviors are identified. This section concludes by categorizing different types of difficult caregivers into broad groups. Their characteristics are examined.
Activity: Group Discussion
Part B: How the behaviours of difficult carers affect the CHILD and YOU
Research evidences show that children and adolescents can experience different degrees of negative effects due to parental conditions. Participants will review the wide-ranging long-term and short-term impacts on the child: academic, emotional, social and behavioural.
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.
Activity: Case Studies Review
Part C: Looking beyond emotional and behavioural manifestations of difficult carers
Using role play and case studies, participants will explore why caregivers behave in difficult ways. This is an integral stage if overlooked, can lead to more detrimental effects.
Activity: Role-play, Case Studies
Part D: Strategies to manage difficult carers
Participants will be trained how to motivate carers to engage in more adaptive behaviours using the Motivational Interviewing approach. This approach emphasises using a directive, caregiver-centered style of interaction to promote behavioural change by helping them explore and resolve ambivalence.
Activity: Skills practice
Part E: Supporting wounded children and adolescents
A framework based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is introduced as a useful handle for participants to help young ones consciously examine their false beliefs due to the presenting situation, work through resultant hurts, and be more resilient.
Activity: Skills practice
Part F: Self-Care Techniques
This workshop concludes with techniques that participants can use for self-care.
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