Courses

Training for Parents

Stepfamilies Australia runs a number of courses for stepparents, stepgrandparents and carers. Presently, these are only offered in Melbourne, although we are working to put them online to make it national.

Stepping Up

Stepping Up helps parents tackle the unique challenges of being a blended family. It helps people separate stepfamily facts from stepfamily myths, and helps parents develop strategies suited for their families. Stepping Up emphasises the relationship between partners, as this is the basis for a happy and successful blended family.

Stepping Up covers topics including: the complexities of stepfamilies, coping with grief and loss, communication, children in stepfamilies and what success looks like. The training also encourages parents to reflect on their own experiences, creating a collaborative environment.

Couch Chats

Stepfamilies Australia runs a series of couch chats, where families can speak with practitioners from the comfort of their own homes. These group sessions are focused on helping parents build connections between each other and with their children. In addition to an expert counsellor, stepparents can share tips, tricks and experiences they’ve had with each other.

Repartnering with Children

Repartnering with Children is a course about stepparenting. It teaches stepparents what to expect when repartnering, and how to avoid some common pitfalls. It highlights the importance of relationships between adults in a stepfamily, and how coalitions can form between different members. If there is too much conflict between certain members, and too much support among others, stepfamilies can very rapidly break down.

Who runs them?

Stepfamilies Australia is attached to Drummond Street Services, a not-for-profit based in Victoria with extensive experience working with families. All courses are run by experienced parent educators, all with years of experience helping parents manage the ups and downs of raising children. Beyond Stepping Up, which is specific to parents in blended families, Drummond Street Services also runs a range of courses for parents of all kinds. These cover topics including:

• Bringing Up Great Kids: Exploring the brain development of children, and the meaning of a child’s behaviour
• Tuning into Kids: Emotionally intelligent parenting (1-18 years)
• Circle of Security: How to build attachment and connections (1-5 years)

A full list of upcoming events is available here.

Where else can I go for support?

If you’re looking for counselling or tailored support, the list of practitioners and organisations located here have all completed Stepfamily Australia’s professional training. They are therefore equipped to work with stepparents and have the specific skills required.