Connect and shape: A parenting meta-strategy

Parenting Intervention for Psychological Flexibility and Emotion Regulation: Clinical Protocol and an Evidence-Based Case Study

Psychological flexibility has been found as a protective factor for several psychological problems, including the field of parenting. The present study aims to illustrate a clinical protocol, session by session, for the promotion of parental psychological flexibility and emotion regulation in a case study. The clinical protocol is based on third-wave behavior therapy in a brief intervention of four sessions. The intervention is presented in a clinical case of a mother with a child diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Both mother and child experienced problems with emotional regulation and psychological flexibility. The results show clinically significant improvements in psychological flexibility, emotional regulation, and stress parenting in the mother both after the intervention and at follow-up. In the child, emotional perspective-taking skills, acceptance, and valued actions improved. The case illustrates in detail the application of different strategies of acceptance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and emotional defusion applicable to parenting. Clinical implications are discussed.

Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Training Plus Behavior Parent Training on Parental Implementation of Autism Treatment

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of acceptance and commitment training (ACT) plus behavior parent training (BPT), when delivered via telehealth, on parental implementation of behavioral strategies, experiential avoidance (EA), and stress. The study also examined the subsequent effects on the parents' autistic children's behaviors. A multiple baseline design was implemented across four parent-child dyads who participated in the online training. The findings showed that ACT+BPT resulted in parental implementation reaching and maintaining high levels. The training also decreased EA and stress in three parents. Moreover, the parents' ratings of their children's challenging behaviors decreased. However, such a trend was not as clearly depicted by direct measures of the children's behaviors. A social validity interview revealed parents found ACT beneficial in assisting them to learn and use the BPT strategies. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Effectiveness of a Web-Based Intervention on Parental Psychological Flexibility and Emotion Regulation: A Pilot Open Trial

"Parenting Forest" is an informed contextual therapy parenting program for improving parental emotion regulation strategies and psychological flexibility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of a self-guided web-based intervention of the Parenting Forest program. The intervention program consists of six self-applied sequential modules that use strategies from contextual therapies for providing a parenting style open to experience, mindful and committed to its actions. A pilot controlled open trial was conducted. Eligible parents (n = 12) enrolled in the web-based intervention completed baseline (T1) and post-intervention (T2) assessment instruments. Parental psychological flexibility, avoidance, emotional regulation, parental stress, satisfaction with life, children's psychological adjustment and client satisfaction were measured to assess the effects of the intervention. Mood, coping, and value-related actions were assessed as measures of progress. The results showed positive effects on the parents' psychological flexibility and emotion regulation. Parents' mood and coping skills improved throughout the intervention program. These results provide preliminary evidence of the web-based Parenting Forest's efficacy, although further research is needed to assess its effectiveness for prevention and in clinical populations.