What is Tuning in to Teens?

The Tuning in to Teens program focuses on developing parents’ skills to foster children’s emotional competencies during what is often a challenging time for parents and their child as they move through adolescence. This Australian program was developed in collaboration with Mindful (Centre for Training and Research in Developmental Health) and the University of Melbourne. It draws on research around adolescent development, emotion focused psychotherapies, and attachment theory. The program runs for 8 weeks with a small group of participants involving theory, demonstrations, active learning, and home activities. 

Who are the facilitators?

The program will be facilitated by two members of the Counselling Team of Our Lady of Sion College. Claire Jenkins is a Clinical Psychologist who joined the College this year. Vanessa Cheng is a Psychologist and Educational and Developmental Psychology Registrar who joined the College in 2020.

Who can participate?

The group is open to any parent/carer of a child currently attending Our Lady of Sion College. There is a maximum capacity of the number of families who can participate. If there are more families interested than our current capacity, we will be looking to run the program again in 2024.

Do both parents/carers have to attend?

We encourage both parents/carers to attend every session but understand this may not always be possible due to family/work commitments. The first session is the best one to attend together so that both parents/carers get a general understanding of the program's aims and then the parent who continues attending can share their learnings from that week. Please do not alternate weeks that parents/carers are attending as the same parent/carer must attend consistently to get the most out of the program.

If you are a single parent/carer, you do not have to attend with your child's other parent/carer.

When/where will the program run?

Sessions will be held at Our Lady of Sion College and run from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday evenings. The program runs for 8 weeks and the first session will be on 18 July, with the last session on 5 September.

What if these dates/time don't work for me?

Unfortunately, we can only run the program on the above dates/times and require participants to commit to attending all the sessions. This is because the program has many active components and is structured so that skills are built upon each week, so will be not as effective if only done in parts. We also want to create a safe and supportive group environment for all participants and full attendance will help our participants to develop supportive relationships with other parents in the group. 

If you are still interested in the program, we can note down your interest for participation in a future program which may suit your schedule better. We also hope to run the program online in future!

What happens if I can’t make one of the sessions?

We understand that life can get in the way and we all have family/work obligations! If you cannot make a single session, please let Claire and Vanessa know and we will do our best to catch you up on the content from that week.

What costs are involved?

The program is being run through the Pastoral Program of Our Lady of Sion College and so there are no costs to parents who participate - we only ask for your full commitment in attending every session. 

Does my child have to know I am participating in the program?

Anecdotally, many parents find that their teen is interested to hear they are involved in a parenting program as it shows your commitment and willingness to work on your relationship with them and try new things. However, it is entirely your decision whether to share with your child that you are participating in Tuning in to Teens. We will not disclose your participation to any other members of the school community (including your child) without your consent.