Your Parenting ACT, July 2025

Parenting can be both a joy and very hard work.

But things get in the way of us being the parents we want to be - including our own thoughts and feelings. These can be about ourselves, about our children, about our parenting, or about what others think about our parenting.

Your Parenting ACT is a 6 week course for parents of school aged children where you can develop a strong foundation for your parenting. It helps you understand your child, develop your self, nurture your relationship with your child and parent in line with your values. It uses principles from ACT — Acceptance and Commitment Training — to help you make room for all your thoughts and feelings, so you can respond more calmly and flexibly as a parent.

ACT uses acceptance, mindfulness and behavioural strategies to help people pursue what matters most to them, including being the parent they want to be.

We know that people wonder whether groups are for them! But we find that discovering ACT with and from people who are having similar experiences such as parenting, is very effective and fun. A recent attendee said:

"I can read all the books, but there's nothing like meeting and hearing from other parents."

The course is held over six consecutive Tuesday evenings from 7:00pm to 9:00pm.

We understand that sometimes things get in the way of plans, and occasionally people can't make a night of the course. But it is essential that you attend the first night of the course in order to take part in the remaining sessions. The course includes invitations to share and experiential exercises that work best when we are able to get to know one another and develop trust in the group.

This course needs a minimum number of parents to go ahead. So if you've decided to come, please sign up! It's very helpful to know that we have enough people to proceed.

Giselle Bahr is a clinical psychologist working in Wellington who continues to parent two adult children. She works primarily with young people and their families in private practice. Before that she spent 15 years working in Wellington's public health system and teaching in a university clinical training programme.

Tania Stanton works as a clinical psychologist at the Maternal Mental Health Service. She has previously worked in Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Services where she co-developed and facilitated therapy groups for young people and their parents using ACT. She is enthusiastic about the help that ACT can offer to enhance people’s lives.