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Home > Practice Areas > Parenting/Parent Training

Parenting/Parent Training

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NOTE: Page numbers enclosed in parentheses are citations from The Individual  Psychology of Alfred Adler: A systematic presentation in selections from his writings. (H. L. and R. R. Ansbacher, Eds.).© 1964. Harper & Row, Publishers,  Inc. Used by permission of Perseus Books Group.

“As the child needs training, so do the parents” (Dreikurs, 1964, p. viii). 

Dreikurs conducted open forum family counseling to help parents and children (who volunteered to work with him in the public setting) understand, address, and resolve their difficulties. Simultaneously, he taught his method and approach to those who observed the sessions: other parents, counselors and therapists, teachers, and other professionals.

Since Dreikurs’s innovation, beginning in 1938, based on the child guidance work of Alfred Adler in New York City and Vienna (which Dreikurs had been privileged to observe) a host of materials on parenting (books, classes, trainings, seminars, workshops, video and electronic opportunities by numerous authors) have become available and eagerly used by parents everywhere. Why is this necessary? Why is it that for the first time in history (as Dreikurs provocatively asked) a living creature has appeared on the planet that doesn’t know how to raise its own young?

Adler and Dreikurs became aware that the old order, which broadly supported promises, rewards, and, praise (on one hand) and threats, rewards, and punishment (on the other hand) for the training of children, was breaking down. In its place the evolving culture of freedom and equality was shaping the world of the young. Parents, at a loss, needed an approach suitable to the new order. Dreikurs, applying the basic principles of Adlerian Psychology, emphasized respect for the dignity of the child. Instead of rewards, he stressed taking pleasure in what the child accomplishes for the child’s sake rather than for parental aggrandizement: “You must have enjoyed getting that ‘A.’ ” Instead of praise, he stressed the importance of encouragement: “The important thing is the effort you put into the project.” Instead of punishment, he stressed the importance of family council (family meeting) for solving family problems and the use of natural or agreed-upon logical consequences in training children in responsibility. [See Mistaken Goals of the Discouraged Child.]

 

See Dreikurs, R. (1964); Dinkmeyer, D. C., Jr. & McKay, G. D. (1998); Grunwald, B. B. & McAbee, H. V. (1999); McKay, G. D. & Maybell, S. A. (2004); Nelson, J. (1996); Platt, J. M., (1989); Popkin, M. (1993); Walton, F. X. & Powers, R. L. (1974).

 

© Griffith, J., & Powers, R. L. (2007).  The Lexicon of Adlerian Psychology:  106 terms Associated with the Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler (2nd ed.). Port Townsend, WA: Adlerian Psychology Associates (p. 79).

Definitions of concepts are used by permission of Jane Griffith. A comprehensive list of concepts and definitions can be found in The Lexicon of Adlerian Psychology: 106 Terms Associated with the Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler by Jane Griffith and Robert L. Powers, available for purchase on Amazon.com. 

 

References 

Dinkmeyer, D. C., Jr., & McKay, G. D. (1998). STEP/Teen. Bowling Green, KY: STEP.

Dreikurs, R. (with Soltz, V.). (1964). Children: The Challenge. New York: Hawthorn.

Grunwald, B. B., & McAbee, H. V. (1999). Guiding the family: Practical counseling solutions

(2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Accelerated Development.

McKay, G. D., & Maybell, S. A. (2004). Calming the family storm: Anger management for moms, dads, and all the kids. Atascadero, CA: Impact.

Nelson, J. (1996). Positive discipline. New York: Ballantine.

Platt, J. M. (1989). Life in the family zoo. Sacramento, CA: Dynamic Training and Seminars.

Popkin, M. H. (1993). Active parenting today. Kennesaw, GA: Active Parenting.

Walton, F. X., & Powers, R. L. (1974). Winning children over. Columbia, SC: Adlerian Child Care Books.

 


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Resources

Family Counseling & Parent Training with James Robert Bitter, EdD
Dr. James Robert Bitter summarizes the foundational underpinnings of working with families and children and how they are reinforced in parent training.

Adler was the earliest family system’s theorist and offered common sense approaches in working with families and empowering parents to build stronger relationships with their children. Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs, a colleague of Adler, expanded on this work and popularized it in publications and in training. Dr. Bitter summarizes the foundational underpinnings of working with families and children and how they are reinforced in parent training.

 


Added By: Admin
Areas of Focus: James R. Bitter, Parenting/Parent Training, Family Council/Family Meeting
Resource Type: Video
Direct Link to this Resource

Perspective on Parenting and Corporal Punishment
Jermaine Thomas discusses parenting and the messages sent through the use of corporal punishment. He present new ways of dealing with children through the use of logical consequences.

Jermaine Thomas provides a brief summary about the perspective of parenting and corporal punishment. He shares that two-thirds of young children have been recipients of corporal punishment and 85 percent of teenagers are corporally spanked or hit at some point in their life. Jermaine argues that corporal punishment models violent behavior which increases the likelihood of sending the message that corporal punishment is an accepted behavior. Jermaine talks about on how to deal with children, such as logical consequences.  


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Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training, Natural or Logical Consequences
Resource Type: Video
Direct Link to this Resource

"Birth of a Family": Technique for Staging Life-Styles
Role playing exercise for parenting group to explain birth order and family constellation

Role playing exercise for parenting group to explain birth order and family constellation

Guttenberg, R. (March/June 1981). "Birth of a Family": Technique for Staging Life-Styles. Individual Psychologist, 18(1-2).


Added By: Admin
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training, Family Constellation, Rob Guttenberg
Resource Type: Article

Direct Link to this Resource

The Parent as Cheerleader
Sample page from The Parent as Cheerleader by Rob Guttenberg and Loel Barr (illustrator)

Book by Rob Guttenberg and Loel Barr (illustrator). Book can be purchased on Amazon or by contacting Rob Guttenberg


Added By: Admin
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training, Rob Guttenberg
Resource Type: Document (Word/PDF)
Job Description for Parent as Cheerleader
Medium parent as a cheerleader cover

Large parent as a cheerleader cover
Direct Link to this Resource

Ages & Stages of Child Development
Handout on child development from NC State University's Very Important Parents program.

Handout on child development from NC State University's Very Important Parents program.


Added By: jkbarnes
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Reproducible Materials/Handouts
Ages and Stages
Direct Link to this Resource

Emotion Coaching
Handout on the steps of emotion coaching from NC State University's Very Important Parents program.

Handout on the steps of emotion coaching from NC State University's Very Important Parents program.


Added By: jkbarnes
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Document (Word/PDF)
Emotion Coaching
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Parenting Styles
Handout reviewing different parenting styles from NC State University's Very Important Parents program.

Handout reviewing different parenting styles from NC State University's Very Important Parents program.


Added By: jkbarnes
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Document (Word/PDF)
Parenting Styles
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HALT-Understanding Child Behavior
Handout on reasons for misbehavior from NC State University's Very Important Parents Program.

Handout on reasons for misbehavior from NC State University's Very Important Parents Program.


Added By: jkbarnes
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Document (Word/PDF)
Understanding Child Behavior
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Becoming A Parent: Your Role as a Parent
Very Important Parents Video Series I: Becoming A Parent NC State University

Very Important Parents Video Series I: Becoming A Parent
NC State University


Added By: jkbarnes
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Video
Direct Link to this Resource

Becoming a Parent: You Can Do This!
Very Important Parents Video Series I: Becoming A Parent NC State University

Very Important Parents Video Series I: Becoming A Parent
NC State University


Added By: jkbarnes
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Video
Direct Link to this Resource

Becoming A Parent: Emotionally Managing the Stress of Parenthood
Very Important Parents Video Series I: Becoming A Parent NC State University

Very Important Parents Video Series I: Becoming A Parent
NC State University


Added By: jkbarnes
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Video
Direct Link to this Resource

Idea Exchange by Roland Preston Rice, Individual Psychologist v.5 #2 (1968)
A discussion of the Four Goals of Misbehavior


Added By: AWisniewski
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training, Positive Discipline for Parents
Resource Type: Article
Idea Exchange by Roland Preston Rice
Direct Link to this Resource

Adlerian Parenting Education Knowledge Measure
A description of the Adlerian Parenting Education Knowledge measure

Attached is a detailed description of the Adlerian Parenting Education Knowledge measure that was developed as part of a dissertation related to parents' perceptions of Adlerian parenting skills associated with the STEP program.


Added By: Francis Sesso-Osburn
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training, Adlerian Assessment Measures
Resource Type: Document (Word/PDF)
Adlerian Parenting Education Knowledge Measure
Direct Link to this Resource

The Frightened Parent Syndrome by Vicki Soltz, Individual Psychologist v. 6 #1 (1969)
A discussion of the fears parents experience; especially as their children enter adolescence


Added By: AWisniewski
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Article
Frightened Parent Syndrome
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Adlerian Consultation Hour with Dr. Jay Colker (03-30-2017)
During this consultation hour, Dr. Colker discusses a case, "The Hostile Teenager," by Ray Corsini with a group of students.

During this consultation hour, Dr. Colker discusses a case, "The Hostile Teenager," by Dr. Ray Corsini with a group of students. A line-by-line approach to interpretation is taken to understand the case. Focus is placed on understanding the effects of a pampered child. The use of consequences is also discussed.

Time length: 41:33


Added By: Admin
Areas of Focus: Raymond "Ray" J. Corsini, Mistaken Goals of the Discouraged Child, Natural or Logical Consequences, Parenting/Parent Training, Case Conceptualizatons, Jay Colker
Resource Type: Video
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Adlerian Parenting Education Program
Doctoral students discuss their experiences of facilitating parenting classes.

Doctoral students are asked different questions about parenting classes that they ran during their internships. They gave insight into what they spoke about, how the classes went, the atmosphere of the classes, and what they learned during teaching the parenting classes. They were surprised as to how the classes went, but felt that they were able to make an impact on the communities they worked with.


Added By: Admin
Areas of Focus: Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Video
Direct Link to this Resource

Gfroerer, K. P., Kern, R. M., Curlette, W. L., White, J., & JonynienÄ—, J. (2011). Parenting Style and Personality: Perceptions of Mothers, Fathers, and Adolescents. Journal Of Individual Psychology, 67(1), 57-73.
Journal Article

The researchers investigated personality development and parenting styles using Individual Psychology as a theoretical base. Specifically, the researchers examined the extent to which Baumrind's (1996) parenting styles relate to particular personality lifestyle attributes of adolescents and their parents. A second aspect of this study was to identify the extent to which adolescents' psychological birth order relates to perceptions about parenting. The sample consisted of 80 adolescents from a high school in the southeastern United States and their parents. Statistically significant relationships were found relating parenting style to Adlerian personality lifestyle attributes and psychological birth order. This study provides cross-generational information about personality lifestyle attributes and parenting. Understanding specifically how lifestyle personality attributes and psychological birth order relate to parenting is beneficial information for clinicians and parent educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


Added By: Admin
Areas of Focus: Parenting Styles, Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Article
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Rudolf Dreikurs: Individual Psychology Demonstration of Child Misbehavior Counseling Process (Pt. II)

Part Two of a two-part conversation between Rudolf Dreikurs and Dr. Thomas W. Allen. Recording from the Distinguished Contributors to Counseling Series, 1969.


Added By: aramsay
Areas of Focus: Rudolf Dreikurs, Parenting/Parent Training, Individual Psychology/Adlerian Psychology
Resource Type: Video
Direct Link to this Resource

Rudolf Dreikurs: Individual Psychology Demonstration of Child Misbehaviour Counseling Process (P.t I)

Part One of a two-part conversation between Rudolf Dreikurs and Dr. Thomas W. Allen. Recording from the Distinguished Contributors to Counseling Series, 1969.


Added By: aramsay
Areas of Focus: Rudolf Dreikurs, Parenting/Parent Training, Individual Psychology/Adlerian Psychology
Resource Type: Video
Direct Link to this Resource

Parenting in the Digital Age with Alyson Schafer
Part of the CAPS virtual 2020 Adlerian Summit


Added By: aramsay
Areas of Focus: Active Parenting, Adlerian Summit 2020, Parenting, Parenting/Parent Training
Resource Type: Video
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