WORKSHOP - FOR MOTHERS AND FATHERS, WOMEN AND MEN -

I have offered these workshops in various locations around the country, with a variety of sponsoring organizations.
They can be offered in 1-day, evening, or weekend formats.
For each workshop, you will find a sample agenda. Workshops can of course be tailored to the specific needs of groups or organizations.
For rates and booking information, contact osherson@earthlink.net
 

1. Shame and Self-Esteem in the lives of Parents

This seminar explores the role of shame and self-esteem in the parenting relationship, with particular attention to the way in which shame in created, expressed and managed both for the parent and for the child.  Dr. Sam Osherson will explore the nature of parental shame, the normative nature of shame, its adaptive and maladaptive functions, the reciprocal relationship between parent shame and children's shame, and ways of managing the shame of parenting so as to safeguard the self-esteem of both parent and child.

Topic to be presented:

-- Developmental issues in parents' lives: Stages of parenting.  How unfinished business from earlier in the life cycle is stimulated by becoming and being a parent.  how we grow up as our children do.  Authority and connection in the parenting process.

-- Shame in the parenting relationship: Oppressive cultural expectations about what parents should do.  Internalized shame and performance worries.  Social isolation of parents.  The split between parents' and children's culture.  The role of envy and jealousy between parents.

-- Manifestations of shame in working with parents in therapy: How shame can undermine/ strengthen therapy.  Managing shame in therapy.  The role of the therapist's shame. 

-- Restoration of self-esteem with parents: Individual and group techniques for restoring a sense of healthy pride and hopefulness for parents in difficult situation.  Use of writing as a therapeutic adjunct. 

 At the conclusion of this seminar, participants should be better able to:

-- Identify the major stages of parenting

-- Define and identify the nature of shame and how it shapes the parenting process.

-- Specify the way in which shame is present in counseling parents

-- Identify a umber of therapeutic strategies for helping parents manage shame and develop a more confident approach to parenting.

-- Utilize a variety of techniques for involving parents in counseling and group support, including the use of writing.

2. Men and Their Fathers: Unfinished Business

Fathers are immensely important figures in men's lives; yet they are often shrouded in mystery and silence. Our career goals, how we deal with women and other men, our relationships with our children, even our attitudes toward spirituality, are often linked to unfinished business with fathers.

In this workshop - open only to men - we explore the origins and paths to healing of the wounded father with which many men struggle throughout their lives. We will consider current research and theory on the role of father and mother in men's psychological development. And we will discuss the changing place of the father in modern families.

Then, using small-group and individual exercises, case examples from current psychological research, and contemporary poetry and music, we will come to understand: the key role of fathers in men's identities; the way men try to complete their relationships with fathers through children, wives, and mentors at work; the moral dilemmas of the father/son bond; what happens when fathers are deceased or absent; and ways of letting go of past battles. The process will include ample time for discussion and personal reflection.


3. A NEW Look at Fathers

A presentation for mothers and fathers. Fatherhood is more than simply a role; it's an evolving, highly dynamic relationship that continuously and powerfully transforms men and their children. Yet is it not so easy to be an emotionally available father. Many of us want to be more involved as dads yet are not sure how to do that. Mothers often need an opportunity to deepen their understanding of their parenting partners, and to find ways to support them in a non-critical way.

This workshop explores:
- The many contributions that fathers make to their families
- Different strategies for connecting with children of all ages
- The expectations and conflicts that limit us as fathers and mothers

We examine many aspects of contemporary fatherhood, including:
- The role for children of physical contact with their fathers
- A father's role in introducing nature and the physical world to his children
- How fathers teach mastery and competence
- Fathers and sexuality
- The important role fathers play in their daughters' lives
- How fathers teach spirituality and personal values to their children
 
This event is appropriate for both men and women, at all stages of parenting, from those looking forward to becoming parents to parents of toddlers, teens, and grown children, as well as parents who are divorced.
 
 
4. What Parents Know: Real Stories, Real Solutions

Parenthood is one of the most important and mysterious relationships in our lives. How do we nurture and strengthen the parenting part of ourselves? This workshop clarifies the vital stories in parent's lives - the experiences that contain the crucial values and visions that can guide them to a more satisfying parenting experience. What are the moments as a parent you particularly treasure? Those you find particularly troubling?
 
We will discuss the importance of personal story-telling for parents, and explore some archetypal parent stories that deal with "intimate dilemmas of parenthood," including how we listen to our children, dealing with power struggles, sexuality, and spirituality. These stories are nourishing, hopeful, instructive, forgiving - and entertaining.
 
This event is appropriate for both men and women, at all stages of parenting, from those looking forward to becoming parents to parents of toddlers, teens, and grown children, as well as parents who are divorced. A similar workshop is available for helping professionals, emphasizing on the clinical-developmental implications.
 
 
5. Parenting and Spirituality

Parenting inevitably confronts us with issues of spirituality and faith, both our own and our children's. Often this is a time to look at our own spirituality, faith and meaning. We ask ourselves: What is religion? What is spirituality? How do we incorporate spiritual value into our lives when we live most of our lives in a secular society? The goal of the discussion will focus on creating personally fulfilling rites of passage.
  
 

 - Main Page -