Engaging Parents: Overcoming Parental Resistance in Child and Family Therapy

Presented by Mercedes Samudio, LCSW on 06-30-2017 at 9 a.m. Pacific (noon Eastern) to 11 a.m. Pacific (2 p.m. Eastern)

Many clinicians know to create lasting therapeutic change in a family, they must get buy-in from the parent(s), but engaging parents in a therapeutic setting can be challenging. Even experienced clinicians sometimes feel they are fighting a losing battle when working with parents who are resistant. Learning to work with parents more effectively increases therapeutic success, decreases cancellations and early termination, and lays the foundation for lasting change in a family.

In this two-hour continuing education web conference, licensed clinical social worker and parenting coach, Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, will focus on what it means to work effectively with resistant parents and keep them engaged during the therapeutic process. She will explain the role a parent plays in a family’s ability to change and successfully maintain those changes, as well as share strategies she has developed to bypass parental resistance and develop a therapeutic alliance that empowers parents and heals families.

Mercedes will share her experience working with parents and educating them on the importance of their role as head of a family system. She will demonstrate how she conveys the importance of the family’s reliance on the strength of a confident parent, especially during times of increased stress and emotional upheaval. Attendees will learn strategies to engage parents, overcome therapeutic barriers, and manage common family system challenges to promote successful healing.

This introductory instructional level web conference is designed to help clinicians:

  1. Explain the process of parental identity development.
  2. Discuss parental defense mechanisms and parent shame.
  3. Describe strategies for developing a therapeutic relationship with parents.
  4. Recognize countertransference when working with parents. 
  5. Implement strategies to manage and document crisis with parents and families.

If you have any questions or concerns about this web conference or would like more information, please contact us here.

Event Reviews from Members

Great delivery! Enjoyed how she highlighted storytelling, the defense mechanisms that parents employ, and how to address them in a non-defensive, supportive way. - Timeka Hayes, MA, LMHC, CCTP

This is a must-see for clinicians who work with children and families. - Janeen Herskovitz, LMHC

Continuing Education (CE) Information

Two CE contact hours will be provided by GoodTherapy.org for attending this web conference in its entirety. 

GoodTherapy.org is an Approved Education Provider by NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals (provider #135463). Of the eight counselor skill groups ascribed to by NAADAC, this course is classified within Counseling Services. 

GoodTherapy.org is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org, provider #1352, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 3/30/2022 – 3/30/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 2 continuing education credits.

GoodTherapy.org is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy.org, SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0395.

GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

To receive CE credit hours for an archived event, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 12 or 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events generally are considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

Registration Information

Premium or Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no cost. Not yet a Premium or Pro Member? Mental health professionals can attend this live web conference for $29.95 or access the homestudy recording for $14.95.

If the event is canceled by GoodTherapy, registrants who purchased the event will be notified and the charge for the event will be refunded

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact us.

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Meet the Presenter

Mercedes Samudio, LCSW

Mercedes Samudio, LCSW

Mercedes Samudio, LCSW is a parent coach, bestselling author, and speaker who helps parents and children communicate with each other, manage emotional trauma, navigate social media and technology together, and develop healthy parent-child relationships. Over the course of her career, Mercedes has worked with adoptive families, foster families, teen parents, parents navigating the child protective services system, and children living with mental illness. 

Mercedes started the #EndParentShaming movement as well as coined the term Shame-Proof Parenting – using both to bring awareness to ending parent shame. She recently published her first book, Shame Proof Parenting: Find Your Unique Parenting Voice, Feel Empowered, and Raise Whole, Healthy Children.

Mercedes is a leading parenting expert and has an amazing following on social media that allows her to reach the hearts of thousands of parents who feel heard and seen on their parenting journey. 

Mercedes has been featured on The Huffington Post, US News and Report, Woman’s Day, LA Parent Magazine, CBS LA, and Kids In The House. She seeks to empower parents to believe that they are already great guides for raising healthy and happy children.

To learn more about Mercedes and her work, please visit www.shameproofparenting.com.

* This page contains at least one affiliate link for the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means GoodTherapy.org receives financial compensation if you make a purchase using an Amazon link.

Continuing Education Provider Approvals

  • aceGoodTherapy.org is Approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • Logo GoodTherapy.org has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6380. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. GoodTherapy.org is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
  • Logo This course has been approved by GoodTherapy.org, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #135463. GoodTherapy.org is responsible for all aspects of their programming.
  • aceGoodTherapy.org, provider #1352, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 03/30/2016 - 03/30/2019.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0395.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

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