The Joy of Parenting
An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Guide to Effective Parenting in the Early Years
New Harbinger Publications
Available: 10/01/09
6 x 9 · 216 pages
9781572245938
CDN $31.50
· pb
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Parents are supposed to be at their best when their children are at their worst. The only problem is that parents are people, too, and are susceptible to knee-jerk reactions, anger, and fears that make perfect parenting nearly impossible. But it is possible to keep your long-term parenting goals in mind, give yourself credit for what you're doing right, and most importantly, enjoy the rewards and joy of raising a child.
The Joy of Parenting is a compassionate guide for parents who sometimes feel overwhelmed-that is, all parents. The acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) skills in this book will help you develop the flexibility and mindfulness to help your child make critical transitions and gracefully move past the bumps along the way.
This guide offers practical skills-based exercises to help you:
-Handle tantrums and defiance with grace
-Refocus on big-picture values when you feel overwhelmed
-Act compassionately toward yourself when you make mistakes
-Adjust your parenting as your child works through typical developmental transitions
Lisa W. Coyne, PhD , is founder and senior clinical consultant of the McLean OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents (OCDI Jr.), and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She also founded and directs the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety, and is coauthor of The Joy of Parenting (with Amy Murrell) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Clinician's Guide for Supporting Parents with ACT (with Koa Whittingham). She lives near Boston, MA, with her family and two therapy dogs, Doog and Peach.
Amy R. Murrell, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Texas. She has been actively developing and conducting ACT programs for children and parents since 2000 and is a recognized leader in the field.
Kelly G. Wilson, PhD , is professor of psychology at the University of Mississippi, and founder of Onelife, LLC. He has authored or coauthored eleven books, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness for Two.
