Tuning into Teens Program

Tuning in to Teens is an eight-week group parenting program developed to support family connections and reduce family conflict. It is for parents of teens aged 10 to 20.

The programs focus on developing emotional intelligence. This concept is about being able to use your knowledge of emotions to make decisions, to calm yourself down, to manage anger and conflict, to help you in your relationships with other people, and to understand what is happening in social situations (especially when that person is emotionally close to you).

In this 8-week program you will:

• Develop an understanding of adolescent development, including brain development

• Develop an evolutionary understanding of the function of emotions

• Develop an understanding of the stress response system, the impact that military life can have on this system and the difficulties these changes can create when parenting

• Develop an understanding of the parenting brain and the impact of trauma on this brain region

• Develop greater awareness and acceptance of emotions in self and in your children (this helps with management)

• Skills to support you and your teens contain and explore their feelings

• Skills to foster empathy for yourself as a parent doing their best

• Ways to share emotional experiences as a family in a supportive way

• A five-step process to solve family problems and conflicts, this is called emotion coaching and was developed by the Gottman Institute (includes over 40 years of longitudinal and observational studies)

• Self-care, anger regulation strategies and responding to sibling conflict.

Research indicates that after participating in the program parents report:

• That their teens have better emotion regulation strategies

• Their teens are particularly better at managing anxiety

• That the family have stronger and more positive relationships, including greater intimacy and closeness.

Where will the program be run?

Online via Telehealth.

How long does the program run for?

The program consists of 8 x 90-minute weekly sessions. We therefore expect to complete the program within 8-10 weeks from the start date.

Starting 23rd July and finishing on 10th September 2025, and will run weekly on Wednesdays from 7 pm to 9 pm.

How to RSVP:

Send your expression of interest to psychology@soldieron.org.au and a member of our team will get back to you shortly.