The “parenting experience” creates a unique set of challenges about which many families are woefully unprepared. Proper communication skills must be learned, and then tailored and refined, to positively affect the parent/child relationship, as well as the co-parenting dynamic.
In our Parenting Temper Management classes, parents learn how to better manage and control their every word and action, especially their reactions regarding frustration, anger, and stress. We help them make their interactions with children and family members much more loving, positive, and productive. On the most fundamental level, we make sure that all family members learn and practice quality family values.
Parents sometimes underestimate the devastating effects that poor character values, uncontrolled anger, and inappropriate responses in general, can have on the children and all family members involved. The results of these can cause personal, emotional and relationship injuries from psychological scars which can last for a lifetime. Patterns of dysfunctional responding are often mirrored by children and imitated by others in their relationships and with their own children. Parents have the responsibility to change these habits with improved skills. Thus, all parenting classes teach effective communication skills, assertiveness, and “sensitivity training” and temper management.
Over 1000 Power Point slides are presented and discussed in classes addressing hundreds of topics; all are regarding personal maturity and development effective interpersonal relationships.
Topics include:
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Communication – assertively, empathically, appropriately
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Development – physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially, creatively, spiritually
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Self-esteem, confidence, character building and reaching one’s full potential
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Discipline and Positive Parenting- behavior modification, rewards, and reinforcement
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Safety and Prevention of abuse, neglect, and failure to protect
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Reunification with children and recovery from abuse.
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Boundary formation, ending co-dependency and conflict resolution
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High Conflict Parenting following separation, abuse, and/or divorce
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Social skills, socio-cultural factors, manners, appropriate roles, and rules in relationships
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Character Values
Class members are encouraged to participate and bring to class their personal needs and questions About difficulties in their family and parenting situation. Classes can also be scheduled privately. This is for students who would rather have opportunities for more private disclosures, and feedback from the teacher, regarding their parenting and co-parenting difficulties. Thus, they can come in for individual sessions without the group.
COURT APPROVED CLASSES
Our Anger Management classes comprise a County of Los Angeles, a court-approved program designed to help develop the proper tools and strategies to more effectively cope with triggers and stresses of daily life. Our Anger Management classes provide individuals with new ways of looking at their situations, feelings, and beliefs, and help them develop the necessary cognitive and communication skills necessary to help slow their reactions when feelings of anger arise. Anger is usually deep seated from past events. Lashing out and overreacting are sometimes a natural response, but ignores the hurt that is being caused and/ or manifested. This class teaches individuals ways to respond, rather than react when stressful and provoking situations and interactions with others arise. Rather than reacting as with a reflex, students are taught to be mindful to consider major factors involved in preventative temper management. Some of these tools and factors presented & discussed in class by way of PowerPoint are:
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Types of anger, ways of expressing anger and problems with anger
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Self-Talk – managing thoughts by speaking to yourself
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Detecting thinking errors and replacing distorted thoughts with healthy, accurate beliefs
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Relaxation – Breathing -Meditation –Prayer –Self-Hypnosis
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Understanding thinking error and unconscious and unhealthy defense mechanisms
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Assertiveness training – social skills, Empathy and why Aggression doesn’t work
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Conflict Resolution through Boundaries, Negotiating and understanding Balance
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Focusing on the Higher Values of Character
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Understanding Childhood and Past Origins of Dysfunctional beliefs, behaviors, and temperament
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Assessing and eliminating triggers to anger
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The Reverse Psychology of God – Loving your Enemy, the Killing ‘em with Kindness” strategy
Domestic Violence Classes
Closely related to Anger Management is Domestic violence. Yet, these subjects are considered distinct and separate classes are ordered by the court and child protective services for one reason; Domestic violence is all about CONTROL and is in the family setting almost exclusively. In contrast, people who have an anger problem are not always trying to control people, they may not just get angry in be home and they could get angry at anybody, any situation, and any “thing.
Generally, classes are geared toward the victims of abuse and domestic violence in the group classes. Domestic violence perpetrators are generally separate from victims, and the serious abusers are seen individually, as researchers have seen best results in serious abusers if perpetrators are not in group classes.
Our domestic violence classes focus on family dynamics, power and control struggles, communication and “problem-solving skills, Education teaches awareness, responsibility and pro-active strategies for developing non-violence behaviors and non-threatening behaviors. Peaceful cohabitation and co-existing occur through the manifestation of respect, trust, support, honesty, accountability, responsible parenting, shared responsibilities, negotiation and fairness and other aspects which lead to healthy, fulfilling relationships.
Topics presented and discussed in PowerPoint for Domestic Violence classes are as follows:
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Statistics on the Occurrence of Domestic Violence, Batterers, and Victims
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Types of Domestic Violence (DV) – Verbal, Emotional, Physical, Battering, Child Abuse, Sexual, Incest, Financial, Elder Abused
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Cycle of Violence
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The Control Issue & the reasons for DV
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Safety and Putting an End to Violence
“The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.” Psalm 29:11