Why A Free Online Parenting Class?

Parenting can get challenging, especially when the teenage years hit. That's when it's particularly difficult to know how best to bring up our children. This is why an increasing number of parents are turning to online parenting classes as a source of support and guidance. These classes offer the opportunity to access world-class experts from the comfort of our own home and often at a fraction of the cost of traditional parenting classes.

What Type Of Online PArenting Course Is This?

One particular approach to parenting which is not often talked about online is family systems theory, also known as ‘systems-thinking’. This approach was explored in the 1960's as a reaction to psychoanalysis, subsequently, it has decades of research and volumes of writings that point towards creating healthy families. This is an approach based on the idea that families are complex systems which require understanding and engagement from all members. By understanding the dynamics of a family and how each member affects the other, families can identify areas for improvement and create positive changes that result in better communication and a healthier family environment.

A Family Systems Parenting Class:

But what does this approach to parenting really look like? Here are some of the key principles of family systems theory which can be explored in an online parenting class:

1. Emotional Awareness: By understanding how our emotions and reactions shape the interactions within our family, we can increase our emotional awareness and become more mindful of how we communicate with others. An online parenting class can help us identify patterns of behavior which are not helpful and teach us new ways to express ourselves in a constructive manner.

2. Mutual Respect: Family systems theory promotes the idea of mutual respect, focusing on the importance of understanding each other’s perspectives and validating each other’s feelings. In an online parenting class we can learn how to be more open and honest in our interactions with one another, while still respecting everyone’s autonomy.

3. Problem-Solving: By learning how to identify the underlying causes of conflicts within our family, we can then work together to find solutions which are mutually beneficial. An online parenting class will help us understand different approaches to problem-solving and give us the skills necessary to make more informed decisions as a family.

4. Self-Care: Finally, family systems theory emphasizes the need for self-care as a way to better care for our families. An online parenting class can help us learn how to create healthier habits and routines that nurture ourselves and promote more balanced relationships with our loved ones.

Taking an online parenting class based in family systems theory can be extremely beneficial for our whole family. By understanding the dynamics of how we interact, parents can learn to identify areas for improvement and develop more effective ways of communicating with one another. Not only does this lead to a more harmonious home environment, but it also helps us create stronger relationships with our children which will last a lifetime.

Our FORTified relationships course takes a more global look at relationships, particularly if family stabilization is something that is of interest to parents.

 - THE KEY TO EMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION

Teens are looking to their parents for someone they can turn to for support when they need, it and to fully be present for them, our job as parents is to be able to understand and connect on an emotional level.

 - CHRONIC ANXIETY AND WORRY

Learn how Chronic Anxiety impacts everyone on the planet, and how it often shows itself in parenting styles and how we interact with our loved ones... and it's never usually in a good way.

 - REACTIVE AUTOMATIC BEHAVIORS

What we don't understand is that chronic anxiety is often at the root of many of the behaviors we see in teens and our partners. This often leads to huge miscommunications and breakdowns in relating.

 - TRAPS & BLOCKS IN COMMUNICATION

Often the combination of emotional connection, chronic anxiety and reactivity lead us into traps in communication - patterns of dysfunctional relating that increase conflict and hurt.

Who is the instructor in this parenting course?

Oliver Drakeford, MA, LMFT, CGP, is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He serves as the founder and Clinical Director 'My People Patterns', an online educational hub specializing in relationship-based educational material. He has worked with teens, parents, teachers and families for his entire career, most noticeably as the Clinical Director of a residential treatment center in Malibu, California, Here, he created and trained the team in a family systems-oriented approach to treatment which was designed to help the entire family. He is an occasional professor at Antioch University in Los Angeles, where he teaches "Group Process" to graduate-level students. In 2017 he was the recipient of the Donald T Brown Award from the American Group Psychotherapy Association.

His rescue dog, GoGo, started making his way into sessions with clients in the form of anecdotes and stories and is now a regular guest star on My People Patterns YouTube videos.