Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T)

ABOUT P.E.T.

Dr. Thomas Gordon’s Parent Effectiveness Training class is the pioneering program that has helped millions of parents around the world since 1962.

Whether you’re the parent of a toddler or a teenager, you know that parenting can be challenging–even overwhelming at times. Unfortunately, children don’t come with an instruction manual. And, being a parent doesn’t always mean that you automatically or instinctively know what to do.

P.E.T. offers proven communication skills that really work. When they use these skills, parents are amazed with the dramatic improvement both in their families and in all their relationships. This program was created by award-winning psychologist and three-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Dr. Thomas Gordon in 1962.

You, too, can learn these communication and conflict resolution skills through Dr. Gordon’s P.E.T. program, taught by a certified P.E.T. Instructor. After participation in the P.E.T. course, it is expected that parents will have the ability to:

  • - Distinguish between Acceptable and Unacceptable Behavior.

  • - Recognize when their child needs their help as a skilled listener.

  • - The 12 Roadblocks to Communication.

  • - Use silence, acknowledgments and door-openers to help their child with a problem.

  • - Active Listen to hear their child’s feelings and to clarify information.

  • - Prevent problems and conflicts

  • - Determine what to do when a child’s behavior is interfering with the parent’s meeting their needs.

  • - Confront their child’s unacceptable behavior.

  • - Resolve a conflict between the parent and child.

  • - Mediate a conflict between others.

  • - Distinguish between Conflicts-of-Needs and Values Collisions.

  • - Be able to use the Behavior Window to identify problem ownership and the appropriate skill/s needs to solve the problem.


HOW YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL BENEFIT

  • - Your children will feel free to discuss their problems and concerns with you instead of withdrawing.

  • - They will learn self-discipline, self-control and an inner sense of personal responsibility.

  • - You will learn how to work with each other instead of against each other.

  • - You’ll experience fewer angry outbursts and more problem-solving.

  • - Everyone can participate in rule-setting so all will feel motivated to comply with the rules.

  • - Fewer power struggles–less tension, less resentment, more fun, more peace, more love.


WHAT YOUTH WILL LEARN

  • - How to talk to your children so that they will listen to you.

  • - How to listen to your children so they feel genuinely understood.

  • - How to resolve conflicts and problems in your family so that no one loses and problems stay solved.

  • - A method for troubleshooting family problems and knowing which skills to use to solve them.


WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Parent Effectiveness Training is a 24-hour program which is divided into 12 segments of 2 hours each for easy integration into life skills. The workshop includes creative activities, games and skillbook exercises. Parents also participate in role playing and other engaging activities that make it fun for them to learn the P.E.T. skills.

P.E.T. TESTIMONIALS

“The content is incredibly valuable and the Instructor’s real-life stories brought the content and methods to life. Particularly, the Instructor’s focus on bringing it all back to building a life-long love relationship was invaluable to me, and that awareness if life changing for me.” - Elizabeth P.

“This has been the most influential class I have taken in a long time! (I’d say in my life but no one would believe me!)” - Joanna K.

“The course was well organized and covered the material in a thorough, approachable way. I really appreciated the real-life examples and stories that brought the material to life.” - Kristen A.

"This course has helped me tremendously with more effective communication with my child. I have become more aware of certain confrontive scenarios and am able to apply the appropriate response. Most importantly, the skills I learned in this course, specifically Active Listening, has drastically improved my relationship with my child. My child has become calmer and is able and willing to share his thoughts and experiences with me." - Y. Jia

"This is invaluable to me. My entire family expects me to be the problem SOLVER. I now have the tools to help them solve their own problems." - Joanie M.