Child-Parent Relationship Training (CPRT):

A Transformative Parent/ Carer Program

What is CPRT?

Child-Parent/Carer Relationship Training (CPRT) is a dynamic 10-week interactive program designed for parents and caregivers of children aged 2–11. This evidence-based course equips parents/ carers with practical skills to connect or reconnect with their children, enhancing emotional regulation, communication, and overall family relationships.  

Benefits for the Child

When parents attend a Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) course, children benefit directly from the consequential short amounts of dedicated and focused play time together with their parent/ carer.  These guided play sessions enable skills in connection to be learnt and create long-lasting change, which strengthens the bond between parent and child and thus fosters emotional security and resilience. Through this therapy, parents learn effective communication, empathy, and play techniques that help children feel understood and valued. This improved understanding reduces behavioural issues, as children feel safer expressing their emotions to the parent/ carer without fear of judgment. Additionally, it enhances their self-esteem and emotional regulation as parents model healthy interactions and conflict resolution both within and outside play. Overall, children experience a change in the nurturing environment that promotes psychological well-being, leading to better social skills, academic performance, and long-term emotional health.

Benefits for Parent/ Carer(s)

Attending a Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) course offers significant benefits for parents and carers. These include improved communication and understanding with their child, which helps reduce conflict and builds stronger emotional bonds. Parents often gain tools to manage challenging behaviours more effectively, reduce parenting stress, and develop greater confidence and self-belief in their parenting abilities. CPRT also encourages reflective listening and empathy, enabling parents to understand their child’s emotions and needs better. Furthermore, the course can enhance overall family dynamics by fostering a more supportive and harmonious home environment and generating an understanding peer support network.

Benefits for Schools

Schools benefit immensely when parents or carers undertake the CPRT program. Children become more emotionally regulated, better able to communicate their needs and exhibit improved behaviour in the classroom. This creates a more focused and cooperative learning environment, reducing disruptions for teachers.

Key Features

-      Active Participation: Unlike traditional lecture-based courses, CPRT requires parents and carers to engage in hands-on activities and real-life applications during and between each session.  

-      Practical Skills: Parents and carers learn skills they will immediately use at home to support emotional needs, foster positive connections, increase communication, and manage challenging behaviours.

-      Supportive Environment: Sessions are delivered in a small group setting, encouraging shared learning and mutual support among parents and carers.  

Why attend CPRT as a Parent/ carer

Parents should attend a Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) course because it equips them with valuable skills to build a stronger, healthier bond with their children. These courses teach parents how to understand their child’s emotions and behaviours better, fostering empathy and improving communication. Parents learn how to create a safe space for their children to express themselves, which can reduce behavioural challenges and strengthen trust. CPRT also provides tools to handle conflicts constructively, model emotional regulation, and support a child’s self-esteem. By attending, parents not only improve their parenting techniques but also lay the foundation for their child’s long-term emotional well-being and resilience.

Why Host CPRT at Your School?

CPRT provides schools with a meaningful way to support families, improve student outcomes, and strengthen school-home partnerships. By offering this program, your school demonstrates a commitment to the emotional well-being and holistic development of your students.  A modified version of the 10-week CPRT course is available for teaching staff and other professionals working with children.

CPRT can be tailored to different audiences 

Child-Parent Relationship Training (CPRT) courses are tailored to address the unique challenges faced by each and different groups, such as adoptive parents, foster parents, parents of special needs children, parents of toddlers, and school staff. For adoptive and foster parents, these courses help build trust and attachment with children who may have experienced trauma or instability. Parents of special needs children gain tools to play and address their child’s specific emotional and behavioural challenges while fostering their development. Courses for parents of toddlers focus on managing early childhood behaviours, communication, and establishing a secure foundation. School staff and educators benefit by learning strategies to support children’s emotional needs and strengthen school-home connections. These specialised programs ensure that caregivers and professionals are equipped to nurture relationships and support children’s individual growth in diverse situations.

10-session overview of CPRT

Week 0: Initial Telephone Conversation with parent/ carer/ attendee. This helps the therapist understand the family’s needs in preparation for the groups, identify if CPRT is the right fit, and/ or determine what additional support might be needed. It also provides families with the opportunity to ask any questions and reflect on their needs while enabling the therapist to confirm the parents/carers' commitment and expectations of the CPRT program.

Week/ Session 1: Introduction, overview of objectives. The first CPRT session introduces parents/ carers to the program's goals, focusing on strengthening the parent/ carers-child relationship to address emotional and behavioural challenges. Parents/ carers learn key objectives, explore play therapy techniques, and share goals in a supportive group setting.

Week/ session 2: basic principles of play skills. Session 2 teaches parent/ carers therapeutic play techniques to strengthen the parent/ carers-child bond. Fundamental principles include reflective listening, setting consistent limits, and allowing the child to lead during play. Parent/ carers learn to view play as a way for their child to express emotions, building trust and emotional growth.

Week/ session 3: Play session DOs and DON’Ts, practising core skills. Week 3 focuses on guidelines for practical play sessions. Parents/ carers learn the "DOs," such as being present, letting the child lead, and using reflective listening while avoiding the "DON’Ts," like giving directions or judging. Through practice, parents/ carers refine skills like tracking behaviours and setting empathic limits to strengthen the parent/ carers-child bond.

Week/ session 4: introduction to ACT (Acknowledge the feeling, Communicate the limit, Target acceptable alternatives). Week 4 introduces the ACT model (Acknowledge, Communicate, Target), a method for managing challenging behaviours while maintaining connection. Parent/ carers learn to acknowledge their child’s feelings, set clear limits, and offer acceptable alternatives. This approach helps balance empathy with firm boundaries, enabling parents/ carers to respond calmly and effectively.

Week/ session 5: Supervision of home videos and revised limit setting. Week 5 focuses on reviewing home videos to reflect on and improve play sessions. Parents and carers refine their limit-setting skills, ensuring a balance between safety, structure, and emotional connection. The session helps parents and carers build confidence in maintaining empathetic, firm guidance while fostering a nurturing environment.

Week/ session 6: Supervise home videos and choice-giving. Week 6 focuses on refining CPRT skills through video reviews and group feedback. Parents and caregivers learn to offer choices during play to foster autonomy and self-confidence while refining techniques like tracking, reflecting feelings, and setting limits. This collaborative process enhances their ability to create a nurturing, child-centred environment.

Week/ session 7: Supervise home videos and build self-esteem. In Week 7 of CPRT, parents and carers review home video recordings of play sessions to reflect on their strengths and areas for growth. The focus is on building self-esteem through empathetic listening, validating emotions, celebrating successes, and strengthening the parent/ carers-child bond.

Week/ session 8: Supervision of home videos, encouragement vs. praise. In Week 8 of Child-Parent/Carers Relationship Therapy (CPRT), parents/carers review home videos to explore the difference between encouragement and praise. They observe their interactions and receive guidance on how encouragement, which supports effort and progress, differs from praise, which focuses on outcomes. This session emphasises using encouragement to foster self-esteem and emotional regulation, strengthening the parent/carer-child bond.

Week/Session 9: Supervise home videos and generalise skills. Week/Session 9 in Child-Parent/Carers Relationship Therapy (CPRT) focuses on reviewing home videos to help parents/ carers generalise skills learned. Parents/ carers record interactions with their child at home, which are then analysed with the therapist to identify strengths and areas for improvement. This session helps parent/ carers gain confidence in using therapy techniques in everyday situations, reinforcing positive behaviours and promoting better communication and connection with their child.

Week/ session 10: Supervise home videos and the closing process. Week 10 of Child Parent/Carers Relationship Therapy (CPRT) focuses on supervising home videos and the closing process. Parents/ carers submit recordings of their interactions with their child, which the therapist reviews to provide feedback on strengths and areas for improvement. This session helps reinforce skills like reflective listening and setting boundaries. The therapist also reviews the progress made during therapy, addresses any challenges, and discusses strategies for continuing positive changes after therapy ends, empowering parents/ carers to maintain solid and supportive relationships with their children.

Online/telephone support is available to parents/ carers and, if necessary, schools/ professionals during the 10 weeks and in the immediate month following the course for CPRT-related support and advice.