Group-based compassion-focused therapy: Finding Confidence and Inner Trust as a Parent

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Finding Confidence and Inner Trust as a Parent

Anna Bratt 1,2, Ing-Marie Gralberg 2 1Faculty of health and life sciences, Linnaeus University, 1, 2Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Out-Patient Clinic, Södra Älvsborg Hospital, Sweden

Group-based compassion-focused therapy:

Results

Caring for a child who needs additional support because of mental health (MH) problems is a challenging experience for parents. Shame and self-stigmatisation may hinder parents’

caregiving abilities. CFT seeks to help people face their challenging feelings with courage, wisdom, warmth, and

care. This can help parents be present in the moment and be attuned to the needs of their children.

Background

The reflective lifeworld research (RLR) approach was used to conduct in-depth interviews with eleven parents (six women).

All the parents had an adolescent receiving psychiatric care in a child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinic in Sweden.

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Method

The aim of the present study was to capture parent’s

experiences of eight sessions of group-based compassion focused therapy (CFT).

Aim

CFT facilitated the process of finding confidence and inner trust as a parent. An understanding of one’s own needs gives the confidence and strength that is required to support the child. Learning to be present in the moment and validate the child’s feelings and experiences without attempting

to fix or control them allows the parent to connect to and communicate with the child.

Participating in group-based CFT helped parents learn to take care of themselves. The parents recognised that self-care is a

process by which they can care for their children’s well-being as well as refrain from criticising one’s role as a parent. Indeed, when parent were less self-critical, they also tended to be less critical of their children.

‘I have to take care of myself first in order to be able to help my child—that’s the difference. I understood … only understood that afterwards. There’s more focus on us, of course. If I don’t feel good, I can’t help him, either’.

Sharing experiences in the group allowed the parents to both receive and give support. Talking about their feelings and

previously undisclosed difficult experiences made it easier for the parents to communicate with their children.

‘I feel it—that it makes things easier for me. Like, I don’t have to maintain a facade for myself, for others. “Oh, everything’s so wonderful here at home”. Instead, it’s a struggle to be in a situation like this, and it’s okay that it’s a struggle’.

New horizons and greater clarity about what is important in life emerge. As one parent said:

‘It does that; you know somewhere inside yourself that things are going to be okay. Things can’t always be easy. I guess you have to go with the flow’.

Photo: SnapwireSnaps

The CFT intervention enabled parents to find their agency and strengthened their relationships with their children. The findings underscore the need to acknowledge the supportive role parents play in the recovery of children who receive

psychiatric care.

Conclusion

Photo: Luisella Planeta Leoni

Bratt, A., Svensson, I., Rusner, M. (2019) Finding confidence and inner trust as a parent: Experiences of group-based compassion-focused therapy for the parents of adolescents with mental health problems. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 2019

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