Are you ready to become the calm, connected Captain of the ship for your kids?

The Parenting Without Power Struggles intensive is a carefully designed program that helps you master the core elements of Susan Stiffelman's work, developed over 40+ years as a family therapist, teacher, and parent educator.

This program consists of six self-paced sessions that will help you become the Captain of the ship in your children's lives: responsive, calm, clear, decisive, caring, present, and lovingly in charge.

Each session consists of short lessons in which Susan walks you through exercises and activities to help you break old habits and develop healthier ways of responding to your kids -- even when the parenting road gets bumpy!

If we want to become the Captain of the ship, it's vital that we stop reacting in habitual ways that generate power struggles and disconnection.

If you're interested in stepping away from the unconscious elements that have kept you from truly staying present, calm, connected, and lovingly in charge, this course is for you!

A comprehensive, self-paced program based on decades of training, research and clinical experience:

Most of us know what we should do in those tough parenting moment, but it's hard to actually do those things when our child is melting down or refusing to cooperate.

If you're like most parents, you may get triggered by your child's misbehavior, making it impossible to approach your child in a calm, regulated state.

Susan will walk you through time-tested strategies to help you eliminate knee-jerk patterns of reacting so you can respond as the calm Captain of the ship in difficult parenting moments.

Everything you learn will be based the latest research into neuroscience, brain development, and attachment theory to ensure that you'll be able to implement the change you envision.

If your primary parenting strategy is taking away the iPad or bribing kids to cooperate, this series will be transformative.

"I am amazed by the joy I am experiencing with [my kids] daily, not unlike the intense happiness I experienced when they were first brought into the world. I am allowing them to be themselves and have their feelings, and am learning a great deal about myself in the process. My husband is also growing and changing through the ripple effect. This has been invaluable for me."
"I just want you to know that you are literally saving my relationship with my 14 year old son... I am so very very grateful for the work you are doing. I always felt there was a better way and now have the tools to make it happen. You are empowering us as parents which will in turn empower our kids to come from a place of love instead of fear."
"My husband and I watched the recording last night of session 1 and I truly feel like I have gotten my money's worth already. I cannot thank you enough Susan. I a so looking forward to the next sessions, which we will probably always do the recordings but it is nice seeing you all. Thank you!"
"The course was phenomenal! I would feel such rage inside of my body when my boys wouldn't listen and once I stopped taking their behavior so personally and realizing that my reacting instead of responding only fueled the fire, that feeling of rage left me and I am truly now able to be more "captain" and less "victim". Very enlightening. As a SAHM of a 16 y ear old, a 13 year old, and a 5 year old, I can attest to the fact that this course is helpful for all age brackets!"
"A deeper attachment with my kids. Lessened anxiety about my parenting. Decreased fears about how my kids will "turn out". A greater understanding of what my role is as a parent and how to carry that out. Practical, applicable tools that I am using on a daily basis with my three children. Our house is becoming increasingly peaceful and all of our relationships are growing in terms of trust, confidence and communication."
"I've done a lot of reading and soul searching about parenting but I've never felt this supported or clear about my own behavior and thoughts. It's been great to see you coach people live makes it very practical and real. I'm a life and executive coach for women and I can already see using some of these tools with my clients. THANK YOU!!!"
"My child has been cooperating much better. Sometimes it blows my mind how much he wants to please me. I think I always believed that kids don't cooperate unless they are obligated to, or some incentive is involved. I see now how much they can genuinely enjoy cooperating with their parents. When I ask him to do something, most of the time lately, he says "OK", and does it right away without complaining. This is such a blessing!"
"I felt so trapped in old and familiar parenting patterns, knowing and feeling they were wrong but unsure of how to make the changes within myself. You have given me the hope and a little bit of courage to believe that i can. Im wondering do you do courses or seminars on this side of the world? Many Many heartfelt thanks to you."

Some of the many things you'll learn:

Becoming responsive rather than reactive

Simple tools from neuroscience and polyvagal theory to restore calm and settle an agitated nervous system

Reducing issues around homework, chores, bedtime, and sibling conflict

Moving children toward adaptability, rather than aggression, when frustrated

Helping children move from fight/flight or freeze to a more regulated state

Setting limits with decisiveness, compassion, and clarity

Establishing a family and home life characterized by acceptance, love, and safety

Teaching children how to manage anxiety, including learning about "Little Fear Guy"

Practicing Susan's ACT I Parenting for coming alongside, rather than at an upset child

Identifying and addressing challenging behavior at is root, for long-term improvement

Cognitive strategies to reduce the negative impact of stressful thoughts, beliefs and beliefs

Specific ideas for strengthening attachment with children and teens 

Mindfulness activities for strengthening resilience and maintaining calm

Identifying patterns and sensory elements that contribute to child's dysregulation

Making repair that fosters healing and deeper trust and connection

Reducing impact of parental trauma on present day parenting

Incorporating regular self-compassion practices

Healing old wounds and childhood pains by working with them in our present parenting lives

Forging secure attachment, even if our own childhood was characterized by insecure attachment, dysfunction, or trauma

About Susan Stiffelman, MFT

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Working with children has been my life-long passion. I'm a credentialed teacher and a licensed as a Marriage, Family and Child therapist with over 40 years of experience working with thousands of families from every corner of the globe.

I've shared the insights and strategies I've developed in Parenting Without Power Struggles and Parenting With Presence (an Eckhart Tolle Edition.)

In recent years, I've shifted from private clinical work to online events on topics like Raising Resilient Kids, Helping Anxious Children Thrive, and Raising Screenwise Kids.

I also work directly with parents in my monthly Parenting Without Power Struggles Membership Community and my Co-Parenting with a Narcissist support group with Wendy Behary.

Finally, I share parenting support in my Parenting Without Power Struggles podcast, with over a million downloads.

I feel blessed to be doing work that I love, and hope that I can help you and your children along your parenting journey!

Here is a brief description of each session in your structured curriculum:

Session #1: We'll identify where you are in your parenting life, explore your greatest strengths and challenges, and prepare the groundwork for shifting from the negotiating Lawyer or controlling Dictator to the calm Captain of the ship. We’ll also talk about how children – and adults – become dysregulated, and introduce strategies for calming down when you’re about to lose your cool.

Session #2: We'll talk about why it’s hard to remain the calm Captain of the ship, looking at how past challenges affect our present parenting life. We’ll also look at the ways stress, overwhelm, and trauma move us into losing our cool, and will talk about specific shifts to help prevent dysregulation and restore calm to your nervous system when the parenting road gets rough.

Session #3: We'll look at the underlying reasons children move into dysregulated states based on the latest research in neuroscience. We’ll discuss the four styles of attachment and Neufeld’s six stages of secure attachment, with specific strategies for strengthening connection where it is weak. In addition, we’ll explore how to address challenging behavior at its root and help kids cope with frustration, disappointment, and sensory overload.

Session #4: When children are frustrated they move toward dysregulation. You’ll learn how to use ACT I parenting and co-regulation to restore your child to a more regulated state. Through the Work of Byron Katie, you’ll also learn a cognitive approach to reducing your own tendency to move toward anger when your child’s behavior is pushing your buttons.

Session #5: We'll help you identify signs that your child is moving toward dysregulation so you can offer strategies and co-regulation to bring them back to a more regulated state. We’ll address mood challenges like anxiety, and learn a kid-friendly technique (“ABC thinking”) to help children avoid upsets when a friend or sibling does something they don’t like.

Session #6: We’ll find out how to avoid “Snapshot Child Syndrome” when our child’s behavior pushes our buttons. We'll also talk about repair rituals and apologies, and will wrap up with a "Moving Forward" plan to create specific, actionable steps that ensure the things you've learned in this intensive course become part of your day to day parenting life.

PARENTS LOVE THIS COURSE!

Check out the feedback from parents who have taken this program:

"An amazing course not to be missed by anyone wishing to learn the skills necessary to be in conscious relationship with oneself as well as with the children whose lives we wish to more fully appreciate and empower."

"Tonight's class really brought everything into focus for me. It's clicking! Thank you so much. Raising resilient children who become resilient adults is our goal as parents. Now I feel like I have the tools."

"Seriously?!?!? Where have you been my whole parenting life?! I feel so grateful to have found this work! I woke up this morning and said, "Let it be known…I AM THE CAPTAIN! And today will be BETTER!"

"To illustrate how captivating you were, my husband was watching the football came but came into the kitchen (where I was watching the webinar) to get something to eat. He ended up sitting with me for the rest of the time. Such good stuff!"

"I just want to express how grateful I am to Susan for offering this class. Getting answers to real-life questions, hearing examples, and watching your body language adds so much to the concepts and material covered in the books. So glad I signed up and we have a few more weeks left!"

"I am writing to you from Sydney, Australia, to tell you how helpful this has been in opening my eyes to finding new ways to manage my two boys (ages 12 and 14) often challenging behaviour. I so wish I had stumbled upon this advice when they were very small but I know that it is never too late to try a different approach and become more informed as a parent, as a human being. Every day is a fresh start and an opportunity to be really present. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I've gained more acceptance of myself and my daughter. I have new hope for my future and hers. I'm excited about the changes I've seen and excited to keep working on being the captain of the ship. ...knowing that there will be storms but I will be able to calmly and lovingly navigate them. :)"

"Wanted to say thank you for opening my mind and heart to the 6 steps of attachment. I took my 14 year old daughter out for lunch yesterday and described attachment using the tree/root concept, described each of the 6 kinds of attachment, used examples of each and asked her to rank my relationship with her in each attachment area. WOW! We then spent time talking through each answer and why she feels that way. It was the most honest conversation I've ever had with her. Her eyes welled up a few times I believe in relief. Relief that I was seeing things about my behaviour that wasn't serving either of us and was creating space between us - space that would only grow as she gets older. I was seeing that I didn't have her back, was quick to judge, quick to fix, didn't listen, wasn't there completely in the moment. I have amazing awareness now."

"Susan's work has been an invaluable resource for me. Reading her books is great but then to be able to take the course and really see and experience all the ideas and theories first hand is when the true breakthroughs start happening. Her ability to laser focus on the core of the problem is what makes her a genius. And the fact that she is so accessible to us and so eager to help all of us Mama's who are trying so hard to keep our heads above water - that is what makes her such a wonderful healer. She's smart, compassionate and she has so much good stuff to share!"

Here's how it works:

Once you purchase the course, you'll receive a confirmation email.

You will then receive a follow-up email with instructions for logging into your course hub and membership portal, where you'll find your video lessons, exercise downloads and resources.

Each session will build on a structured curriculum, with accompanying activities to help you reflect and solidify what you're learning, both before and after each class.

Have questions? Please read the FAQ's below or email Support@SusanStiffelman.com.

FAQs

Is this a live class?

Based on a previous live course, these session videos have been transformed into self-paced, short lessons and are available to you at your convenience, forever!

How long can I listen to the replays?

There is no expiration date on this course - you can watch and listen at any time.

Who will benefit from this class?

The material covered in this class will help parents of toddlers through young adults.

What is your refund policy?

We want you to feel confident about investing in this course. You will have 7 days after purchasing to request a refund by emailing support@susanstiffelman.com.

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Please note: Purchase is in USD.

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