All of our curricula and training models are grounded in family systems thinking. The focus is on the strengths and resiliencies of families, and recognizes the importance of instilling a sense of hope and possibility, even in the face of sometimes severe pathologies and destructive behavior.
Parenting Journey Curricula
- Parenting Journey I
- Parenting Journey II
- Parenting in America (English version, Spanish version)
- Parenting Journey in Recovery
The Parenting Journey Model
Parenting Journey curricula are developed by family systems therapists and counselors. These professionals are trained in counseling techniques and are accustomed to raising more questions than they answer. In practice this means that exercises are developed, questions asked, and comments made, all of which put more emphasis on what the group member is feeling, thinking, and choosing to do rather than imparting information and advice.
The Parenting Journey model digs deeply into people’s personal stories. The group facilitator is both counselor and educator, and he or she establishes a safe atmosphere with supportive limits in which parents can express themselves and integrate their emotional experiences with their cognitive understanding. Sharing strategic personal experiences, the group facilitator uses him or herself as a role model for handling emotions and relationships, increasing the sense of commonality that is so important to many parents who may feel isolated. It is this approach that engages all parents without judgment and invites them to explore their own styles and values.
Parenting Journey Facilitator Trainings
Parenting Journey is currently offering facilitator training for the following curricula:
Parenting Journey I
This 12-session, introductory curriculum is designed to help parents increase their self-care practices, raise awareness of past and present factors that influence their parenting styles, enhance their parenting skills, and utilize their strengths to support their children and build nurturing family relationships. This program focuses on adult development and the emotional understanding of their role as a parent, thus filling a void created by traditional parenting classes which often focus on child development and disciplinary techniques.
Parenting Journey II
This 12-session program offers parents an opportunity to utilize the skills and new insights they gained in Parenting Journey I. As the journey continues, parents re-direct their focus away from their past experiences of being parented and begin to examine their lives in the “here and now.” This includes identifying self-sabotaging behavior and proactively setting goals and making plans for themselves and their family’s future. At the end of Parenting Journey II, parents leave with a clear plan that includes the steps necessary to reach their personal goals.
Parenting in America
Parenting in America is a 12-session curriculum in which Haitian and Latino parents respectively share their immigration experiences, honor their cultural strengths, and use new strategies to confront the challenges of adapting to life in the United States and raising children in between two cultures. The curriculum addresses such topics as the balance of power in the family; learning to navigate systems and connect with resources that are important to, or can improve, their lives; and staying healthy in a stressful environment.
View Curriculum Sample (English)
View Curriculum Sample (Spanish)
Parenting Journey in Recovery
This 14-session program is designed to empower parents and caregivers who have a history of addiction and who want to spur confidence and optimism in a successful recovery, improve parenting skills, and set goals for the future. This includes identifying behaviors related to addiction and creating a new path that involves personal recovery, accountability, positive actions, and hard work.
“The Description of Parenting Journey goes beyond words. It’s nurturing, fulfilling, informative, and fun. The facilitators are compassionate and understanding. Parenting Journey is a life changing experience.”
– Gloria Heckstall, Family Advocate, ABCD Roxbury Head Start