This program aims to help you…

Feel calmer as a parent

Have a clear plan based on scientific research

Feel less confused and frustrated with your teenager

Improve family communication

To have conversations (not lectures) with your teen in a way that kids listen and change

To help your teenager cope with big feelings and make good decisions

This program covers how to:

• help your teens talk to you like a normal human being

• reduce anxiety and distress

• get your child to do what they need to do

• help your teen to fight less with their siblings

• build a parenting team with your teenager’s other parent

This program is for parents of teenagers that want their teenager to…

• be more responsible without having to lecturing them

• come out of their bedroom and interact positively with the family

• stop being rude, rolling their eyes and yelling at everyone

• get off devices and go to bed without arguments

• be kinder to their siblings

• go to school without anxiety or arguments

• feel less depressed and anxious

It is for parents who want ….

• a more resilient teenager

• to feel less exhausted and less alone in parenting

• to know how and what to do to support their teen with mental health difficulties

• to have a more calm household with teenagers who listen and talk to you, and each other, respectfully

• to be prepared for the teenage years and get their family set for what is to come

What parents are saying who have done the program

“From week one there was definitely more calm in our household”

“I am spending more time with my daughter, we have found a way to be together again without conflict. It is so nice to see her out of her room and doing things with us again.”

“The skills I have learned have helped me at work too! It is helping me manage my anxiety I have struggled with for a long time".”

“I like how it is practical, and you explain it in a way that means I know you know what it is really like to try to parent a teenager.”

“I really related to what you said, I felt like you were describing my exact situation and thoughts.”

“One of the beauties of the program is that it doesn’t matter what your difficulties are, or how difficult they are, and whether you have a child who might have additional disorders, it’s still the same approach and it still works perfectly.”

“I thought I would find the group calls a bit difficult or unusual at first and ….the first few times I thought oh it is a bit scary but the fact there are a few more people there means that the pressure was off me because I didn’t have to contribute but when I needed to I could. So I actually found that it worked far better than I thought it would.” (Parent in the supported program)

“It has been quite amazing and one of the benefits I didn’t see coming and actually hearing other peoples’ stories helped me to realize that actually what I am going through is actually really normal, and it is happening in different ways and forms in most people’s households. So I have learned from the other parents and how they have handled things and I have also felt that everyone is going through the same or different things and it is actually okay.” (Parent in the supported program)

Structure to support the whole family.

Both parents can attend for the one cost.

The program includes a workbook with three types of activities included each week

1.       Child focus - How you can support your teen/tween to help them overcome their difficulties

2.       Parent Focus - How you can feel less stressed and more in control

3.       Partner focus – How you can improve the parenting partnership with your child’s other parent.

Parenting can feel overwhelming and lonely at times.

The new format of the Calm Connection Parenting Program includes weekly group calls with Dr Kirstin Barchia.

There is so much parenting advice how to I work out what to do?

This program is based on research on the brain, emotions, and the role of parents in building resilience during the teenage years. It incorporates many of the strategies I have used in clinical practice over many years to help parents and teenagers connect and help teenagers make more responsible decisions and actions.

Registration for this group is currently closed. If you would like to purchase the pre-recorded program click here

Have questions? email: northernbeachespsychology@gmail.com

About Dr Kirstin Barchia, Clinical Psychologist, PhD, MClinPsych, BPsych(Hons).

Dr Kirstin Barchia is a Clinical Psychologist and researcher. She has counselled teenagers and their families on Sydney’s Northern Beaches for the past 20 years. Kirstin is also an experienced researcher. She has conducted research projects with thousands of adolescents examining school bullying, peer relationships, resilience, lying and delinquent behaviour. Kirstin is passionate about supporting families during the teenage years using the most up to date scientific understanding and evidence based practice. She has developed the Calm Connection Program and other free resources for parents of teens to improve connection between teens and their parents so as to improve teenage resilience.  

Kirstin really cares about helping and supporting parents with teenagers.

If you join the program and it’s not what you were expecting you can request a full refund within 7 days.

FAQ

When is the group? And what if I can’t make that time?

• The live group will be held online 12:30pm Sydney time weekly for 8 weeks from 15th Feb 2022.

• If you can’t make it live, no problem, a recording will be made available to all group members (available for 6 months).

How does the live group work?

• Each week Dr Kirstin Barchia will host a group zoom call that will start with teaching followed by Q and A and a brief coaching focus based on the needs of the members of the group.

• Each week you can submit questions before the call and all questions will be answered on the call for that week

What are the benefits of group coaching?

• You won’t feel alone: One of the hardest parts of parenting is thinking that no one else is struggling. In a group, you get to see what I see… that parents are all struggling with similar difficulties. By hearing from others you will feel less alone and it’ll normalize your experience of parenting.

• When one person asks a question you get the answer too: Sometimes someone else will ask a question you didn’t realise you had and everyone gets to benefit from the learning of others. It’s not always necessary for you to do the talking, your biggest breakthroughs might be from just listening.

• You will get the same parent coaching experience that I share with individual clients: We follow a clear framework so you feel less confused about how to approach the difficulties in your household.

How many people will be in a group?

• Groups will be capped so that there is enough time each week to answer everyone’s questions

Can my child’s father attend the groups and watch the recordings?

• Yes. The registration fee is a family registration fee.

What if only one parent wants to do the program and the other parent doesn’t want to change?

• There are components of the program that address this difficulty directly. It is possible to gain benefit from only one parent attending. Most commonly, one parent is more motivated and has the time to participate in the program. When the other parent sees the difference they often start to be more open to a new approach. It only takes one person in a family system to begin to calm the whole family.

Is the program suitable for single parents?

• Yes. One of the benefits of the program for single parents is having a weekly space to connect with someone to help with struggles and decisions.

Will the program help us with the specific difficulties in our family?

• The Calm Connection program parenting plan can be applied to almost any difficulty with a teenager. If you are unsure feel free to email northernbeachespsychology@gmail.com

Who will be leading the group each week?

• Dr Kirstin Barchia will be leading all of the groups starting in Feb 2022. One of the benefits of registering now is guarantee that you will be working with Kirstin.

What if I can’t make the group call one week?

• The calls will be recorded for you to access in your own time.

How is privacy and confidentiality handled in the group?

• We ask that group members respect the privacy of their own families and share only details that are necessary in Q and A. Kirstin will also seek to answer questions in a way that protects the privacy of families involved in the program and the teenagers who are not in attendance.

• We ask that everyone in the group maintain the confidentiality of the other group members identities.

• When submitting questions parents can elect for whether they would like their name changed or withheld.

• Only those registered will have access to the group calls and a waiting room and password will be set up to ensure that only those who are registered can attend.

• You do not have to turn your camera on and you can use a first name or nickname to sign in.

• Replays will only be available to group members with a password. The replay cannot be downloaded.

Is this program value for money?

• The cost of seeing a clinical psychologist individually on average is $250. The content that is presented in this program is more than what could be covered in 10 weekly individual appointments with Kirstin. The total value of the program is around $2500 if you compare it to the cost of weekly appointments with a therapist.

What are the benefits of an online program vs seeking individual face to face support?

• The most valuable role of an online program is getting the content that you need to make changes. Often in one-one support the focus of the conversation is on the current crisis or concern and providing emotional support. While there is definite benefit to this, it is harder to learn the new ways of doing things from the middle of a conversation about a crisis. Having online content to complement personalised support is a helpful way of meeting both the need for emotional support and the need to learn new ways to approach difficulties. It is for this reason that I am trialing running this group as a weekly live program.

• You can access online programs in your own time without any of the additional time involved in travelling to and from an appointment.

• You can access the program anywhere you have internet access. Instead if it taking extra time in your day you can do it while you exercise, clean, drive, or waiting to pick up your children from activities.

When are the group calls?

• Currently these calls are scheduled for 12:30pm (Syd time) on Tuesdays for 8 weeks beginning 15th February via zoom. We will offer other times as demand increases.

What if I get in the group and decide that it’s not my thing?

• There is a 100% money-back guarantee for the first 7-days, so you can come in and get the full experience to make sure it’s a match for you.