Engaging children: Paving the way with parents

In this course you will work towards developing your confidence to use a range of practice skills for working with parents who have concerns about their child’s mental health and wellbeing. These skills can contribute to engaging parents in the therapeutic process either prior to or in the early stages of working with children.

Skills include:

• how to establish a collaborative relationship with parents
• how to assist parents to identify and describe what is important to them as a parent, and the hopes they have for their child
• how to support parents to see problems in the broader social context of children’s lives
• how to invite parents to reflect on their understanding of their child’s experience and perspective of the problem
• how to explore parents’ previous efforts to respond to the problem
• how to support parents’ understanding of how their child has been responding to the problem
• how to open up conversations with parents about their appreciation of their child’s strengths, skills and know-how; and
• how to consult with parents to help make the child’s attendance and participation in counselling possible. 

This video introduces you to the Engaging children pathway. It is recommended that you complete the foundation course, Engaging with children, before beginning this course.

It is estimated that this course will take you three hours to complete, including watching videos and undertaking the reflection activities.

You can do the course across multiple sessions at your own pace. The last screen you visit before logging off will be bookmarked, and you will have the option of returning to that screen when you next log in. 

As you work through the course, it is important to be aware of your own emotional responses. Please use the following self-care tips and seek help if needed:

• We do not recommend undertaking the entire course in one sitting. Give yourself some breaks. Even if you don’t feel that you need a break, it’s a good idea to take one anyway and come back later.
• Be aware of your emotions as you progress through the course, and take action if you are starting to feel stressed or upset. For example, consider taking a break and doing something for yourself that you enjoy.
• Be aware of your emotional responses after you complete the course.

If at any point you find you are struggling, please talk with your supervisor, seek help, or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or SANE Australia on 1800 18 7263.

Some essential strategies for self-care include:

• being prepared – thinking through the ‘what-ifs’ step by step
• understanding your personal signs of feeling overwhelmed
• setting prompts that will notify you that you need to pull back
• predetermining how you will pull back, and how you know you will be OK to re-engage
• linking into peer supports
• engaging in, and prescheduling, regular stress-reduction activities; and 
• seeking opportunities to reflect on your experiences with your professional colleagues.

You will explore specific tips for personal self-care later in this course. These are also relevant to your staff and your family. 

For the purposes of this course, the term parent encompasses the biological and adoptive parents of a child, as well as individuals who have chosen to take up a primary or shared responsibility in raising that child.

Social and emotional wellbeing refers to the way a person thinks and feels about themselves and others. It incorporates behavioural and emotional strengths and is a facet of child development.

In broad terms, social and emotional wellbeing is the foundation for physical and mental health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is a holistic concept which results from a network of relationships between individuals, family, kin and Community. It also recognises the importance of connection to Land, culture, spirituality and ancestry, and how these affect the individual.

Social and emotional wellbeing is also used by some people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, who may have differing concepts of mental health and mental illness.

This course refers to children aged 4–12 years. 

This course draws on the latest research, clinical insights, and the lived experience of our child and family partners. We’d like to thank the professionals and families who played an integral role in shaping this course, generously offering their time, wisdom and unique perspectives.

Watch the following video for a quick guide on how to navigate Emerging Minds Learning courses.