How to Listen so Parents Will Talk and Talk so Parents Will Listen

Few resources exist that teach mental health practitioners the building block skills of working effectively with parents. Based in research, theory, and years of experience in working successfully with all types of parents, John and Rita Sommers-Flanagan provide mental health professionals with the tools to build rapport and trust with parents.

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"In keeping with person-centered theory and therapy, John and Rita Sommers-Flanagan have produced a book that will be immensely helpful for professionals who work with parents. Throughout the pages, there are many examples of practitioners honoring and respecting parents and listening deeply to how best be of help. I am delighted that this book continues to echo and expand on my father's work."
—Natalie Rogers, PhD, REAT, author, The Creative Connection and The Creative Connections for Groups "Because parenting can be such a dizzying task, professionals working with parents need to have intelligible, compassionate, and ethical principles to guide their work. John and Rita Sommers-Flanagan have mastered this complex terrain, and we are fortunate, in this articulate and accessible book, to gain from their exceptional experience and wisdom."
—Andrew Peterson, EdD, author, The Next Ten Minutes: 51 Absurdly Simple Ways to Seize the Moment

Step-by-step guidance for building healthy dialogues with parents that open communication and promote positive outcomes

Embracing the uniqueness of every parent, family situation, and practitioner, How to Listen so Parents Will Talk and Talk so Parents Will Listen helps professionals address the parent-child problems that families often find puzzling or challenging and for which they seek support and guidance.

How to Listen so Parents Will Talk and Talk so Parents Will Listen features many specific interventions and methods for helping parents implement developmentally appropriate and scientifically supported strategies for building healthy parent-child relationships and working through the most common conflicts encountered in families. It includes:



Tips for creating a positive therapist-client experience with parents


Guidelines for working with a variety of parents


Parenting tip sheets and homework assignments


Case studies focusing on many different parenting problems, including the strong-willed child, divorce, homework battles, spanking, and more



How to Listen so Parents Will Talk and Talk so Parents Will Listen will help you develop positive relationships with parents so that constructive two-way dialogue can be established. Even the most difficult and resistant parents can be successfully engaged through the helpful strategies, advice, and tools found in this practical guide.