Secure Parenting in a Contemporary World

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All parents have the innate capacity to create an environment that meets the needs of their child and supports them in their development, while also noticing and honouring their own needs. It is through the larger context of parents understanding themselves and their children that the foundation for a healthy and strong family relationship is established. Dr. Martinez weaves this knowledge into the fabric of each family's culture, personal history, immigration experiences, lifestyles and communities, personal values, and other relevant aspects of identity. As these influences are identified and the impact better understood, parents can begin to identify where change is needed and how to achieve this by harnessing their own innate wisdom. 

​If you are seeking support to achieve any of the following, Securely Attached Parenting work with Dr. Martinez may help:
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-Establishing an effective and smooth morning routine
-Sitting down for family meals
-Getting your kids to bed on time without conflict
-Cultivating greater family connection
-Setting and meeting screen time limits
-Encouraging resilient and responsible children
-Fostering a Growth Mindset
​-Transitioning from full-time parenting to back to the workforce
-Relocating homes and communities
-Arrival of a new sibling
-Sibling rivalry
-Supporting adolescent development and increased independence
​-Co-habitating with adult children in the family home

We utilize and integrate the following empirically supported parenting interventions into our work with parents and families:

Attachment-based Parenting
This approach helps parents learn how to harness the power held within the connection, or attachment relationship, between themselves and their child. This first relationship is viewed as a foundational relationship that will influence how the child develops emotionally, physically, and behaviourally throughout their lifespan. The parent-child relationship will establish the formation of healthy relationships the child will have with those around them such as siblings, friends, peers, teachers, coaches, and all relationships into their adult years. This is a powerful and impactful form of parenting where parents learn to identify the needs of their child, as well as their own needs, and work together to create a respectful and synchronous rhythm.

COS: Circle of Security
COS is a program designed to help caregivers reflect upon their child/ren’s attachment needs in order to promote a secure attachment with that child. Secure attachment relationships with caregivers are a protective factor for infants, preschoolers, and children setting the foundation for social competence and promoting effective functioning of the emotion regulation and stress response systems. Lasting change in the attachment relationship comes from caregivers’ developing specific relationship capacities rather than learning techniques to manage behavior. Learning comes from a secure attachment base. This parent-child relationship can change so that the past does not have to direct the future. Finally, COS understands that all caregivers want what is best for their child.
 
 CPS: Collaborative Proactive Solutions
CPS is a research-based approach developed by Dr. Ross Greene that focuses on identifying the skills the child/teen is lacking and the expectations they are having difficulty meeting with a goal to help kids and caregivers solve those problems rather than trying to using  rewards and punishments to change kids’ behaviour. CPS is highly effective with young children all the way to use with emerging adults. The goal in CPS is to foster a collaborative partnership between adults and youth and to engage kids in solving the problems that affect their lives. It is non-punitive and non-adversarial and focuses on decreasing conflict, improving communication, and enhancing relationships.
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P-CBT: Parent-Led Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Parents can play a strong role in helping their children overcome anxiety and related disorders—given the right tools. P-CBT is an innovative, research-based approach designed to teach parents cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques to use with young children aged 4- to 12-years-old. Working 1:1 with a psychologist you will learn skills to promote children's flexible thinking and independent problem solving, help them face specific fears, and tackle accompanying difficulties, such as sleep problems and school refusal.

PMT: Parent Management Training
PMT, also known as Behavioural Parent Training, is an empirically supported therapeutic approach using principles and techniques derived from behaviour therapy and neuroscience.  Emphasis is placed on positive reinforcement and other behavioural strategies to increase desired behaviours in the child. When children feel good about their actions, they feel more encouraged to participate in daily family life. This in turn leads to more positive interactions among family members and a stronger sense of self in the child.  It’s a win-win!