Our Free Parent/Caregiver and Adult Workshop Series is an ongoing opportunity for parents to receive guidance and education around mental health challenges and treatment options for their children and adolescents. These workshops are offered virtually on select Mondays from 12-1pm, and are free of charge. They are open to anyone, anywhere. Individuals do not need to have any affiliation with The Concord Center in order to participate.
All parent workshops are recorded and are available upon request for those who signed up and were not able to attend the live sessions.
2026 – 2027 Free Workshop Series
Supporting Positive Behavior as School Ramps Up
August 19th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Join us for a Shaping Behaviors for Back-to-School, a discussion of behavioral strategies that can help influence your child’s behaviors to support them with the transition back to school. By focusing on reinforcement, validation, and consistent responses to behaviors, parents can foster emotional regulation, resilience, and smoother routines during this often stressful period.
How to Support Your Anxious Child
September 14th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Anxiety is a normal part of growing up, but when it begins to interfere with school, friendships, family life, or everyday activities, it may be time for extra support. This workshop will help parents understand how anxiety develops, why it persists, and the many ways it can show up in children and teens. Parents will learn practical strategies for responding to anxiety in ways that build confidence and reduce avoidance, and will better understand how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a research-based treatment for anxiety, helps children gradually face fears and develop lasting coping skills.
Navigating Grief & Change During the Holidays
October 19th, 2026 | 12-1pm
The holidays and meaningful dates can bring comfort, connection, and celebration – but they can also bring grief, sadness, and reminders of what has changed. This workshop will explore common grief reactions around holidays and anniversaries, the importance of coping ahead, and practical skills for managing difficult emotions while making space for memories, traditions, and moments of connection.
Helping Your Supersensor: DBT-C
November 9th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Some children experience emotions more intensely than others, leading to frequent outbursts, impulsive behaviors, or difficulty calming down. This workshop will introduce parents to Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Children (DBT-C), a research-based treatment for children ages 7–12 with intense emotions and behavioral challenges. Parents will learn the core principles of DBT-C, practical skills for responding to challenging behaviors, and ways to help children build emotional regulation, coping skills, and stronger family relationships.
Beyond “Failure to Launch”: Helping Adult Children Gain Independence
November 30th, 2026 | 12-1pm
When an adult child remains dependent at home or struggles to move toward greater independence (often referred to as “failure to launch”), parents often feel worried, frustrated, exhausted, and unsure of how to help. This workshop explores the patterns that can keep families feeling stuck through a compassionate and non-judgmental lens. Parents will learn practical strategies to shift family patterns, set effective boundaries, and support their adult child in taking meaningful steps toward greater independence.
When Going to School Feels Impossible: Managing School Avoidance
December 14th, 2026 | 12-1pm
When anxiety leads a child to avoid school, it can quickly become a stressful cycle for the whole family. This workshop will help parents understand why school avoidance develops, what keeps it going, and how to recognize the patterns that make returning to school more difficult. Parents will learn practical, evidence-based strategies drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to break the cycle of avoidance, support their child’s gradual return to school, and work effectively with school staff to promote long-term success.
Helping Your Child Build Executive Function Skills
January 11th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Executive function skills help children stay organized, manage time, control impulses, and handle everyday responsibilities. When these skills are underdeveloped, children may struggle with schoolwork, routines, emotions, and independence. This workshop will help parents understand what executive function challenges look like, why they happen, and how they affect daily life. Parents will learn practical strategies to support organization, attention, planning, emotional regulation, and independence at home and school, while gaining a better understanding of how these skills can be strengthened over time.
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)
February 8th, 2026 | 12-1pm
When a child struggles with anxiety or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), it’s natural to want to ease their distress. While these responses come from a place of love, they can sometimes make anxiety stronger over time. This workshop introduces Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), a research-based, parent-focused approach that helps children build confidence by changing how parents respond to anxiety. Parents will learn practical strategies to reduce accommodations, set healthy boundaries, and support their child’s growing independence.
Different Styles, Shared Goals: Co-Parenting Communication
February 22nd, 2026 | 12-1pm
Co-parenting can be challenging, especially when parents have different communication styles, parenting approaches, or unresolved conflict. This workshop introduces practical interpersonal effectiveness skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help co-parents communicate more effectively, navigate disagreements, and create greater consistency for their children. Parents will learn how to reduce conflict, advocate for their values and needs, maintain respect in difficult conversations, and model effective communication skills for their children.
Self-Harm Explained: Understanding the “Why” and Supporting Your Child
March 8th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Discovering that your child is self-harming can feel frightening and overwhelming. This workshop will help parents understand what self-injury is and what it is not, explore common reasons why young people engage in self-harm, and address common myths and misconceptions. Parents will learn how to respond in supportive and effective ways, talk with their child about self-harm, recognize when professional or medical support is needed, and take the next steps with greater confidence.
OCD 101
April 12th, 2026 | 12-1pm
OCD is often misunderstood and can look very different from the stereotypes many people recognize. This workshop will help parents understand how OCD differs from typical anxiety, the many ways OCD can show up, and how compulsions, reassurance, and family accommodations can unintentionally reinforce OCD. Parents will learn practical strategies for responding effectively, reducing accommodation, and understanding how Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a research-based treatment for OCD, helps children face fears and regain confidence.
Needle Anxiety: From Fear to Confidence
April 26th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Many children feel nervous about shots or blood draws, but for some, fear of needles becomes so overwhelming that it interferes with medical care. This workshop will help parents understand the difference between typical nervousness and needle anxiety, why fear can grow over time, and how common responses like avoidance or reassurance can unintentionally make the fear stronger. Parents will learn practical strategies for helping children build confidence, prepare for medical procedures, and understand how gradual exposure, a research-based approach for treating anxiety, helps children face needle fears with greater confidence.
Building Resilience with CBT
May 10th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective, research-based treatments for anxiety, depression, and many other emotional and behavioral challenges in children and teens. This workshop will help parents understand the core principles of CBT, how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence one another, and why certain patterns can keep children feeling stuck. Parents will learn practical ways to support healthy coping, encourage flexible thinking, and reinforce the skills children use to face challenges with greater confidence.
Managing Big Emotions with DBT
June 14th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Some children and teens experience emotions more intensely, making it harder to cope with stress, manage impulses, or navigate relationships. This workshop introduces Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a research-based treatment that helps young people build practical skills for managing emotions and responding more effectively to life’s challenges. Parents will learn the core principles of DBT, how mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness work together, and ways to reinforce these skills at home.
When It’s More Than Sadness: Understanding Depression
July 12th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Depression is more than feeling sad. In children and teens, it can affect mood, motivation, relationships, school performance, and everyday activities. This workshop will help parents recognize the signs of depression, understand how it differs from typical ups and downs, and learn how to respond in supportive, effective ways. Parents will also gain an overview of how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a research-based treatment for depression, helps young people develop healthier thinking patterns, strengthen coping skills, and reconnect with the activities and relationships that matter most.
Breaking Free from Social Anxiety
August 9th, 2026 | 12-1pm
Social anxiety is more than shyness. It can keep you from speaking up, building relationships, pursuing opportunities, or enjoying everyday experiences. This workshop will explore how social anxiety develops, why it persists, and the common thinking patterns that keep people feeling stuck. Participants will learn practical, evidence-based strategies for challenging negative beliefs, making values-based decisions instead of fear-based ones, and gradually facing social situations through an “exposure lifestyle” that builds lasting confidence.
Back-to-School Success
August 23rd, 2026 | 12-1pm
The transition back to school can bring changes in routines, big emotions, and challenging behaviors for children of all ages. This workshop will help parents understand why these behaviors often increase during times of transition and how everyday interactions can shape lasting habits. Parents will learn practical, evidence-based strategies for encouraging cooperation, reinforcing positive behaviors, responding consistently to challenges, and helping children build confidence as they settle into the new school year.
Previous Free Parent Workshops in the 2025-2026 Series Included:
- What to Expect for your Child’s Therapy
- Intro to Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)
- Your Child’s Executive Functioning Challenges
- School Avoidance Workshop
- Validation Strategies
- Depression 101
- From Worry to Calm: What Parents Need to Know About Anxiety
- Teen Behavior: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and When to Worry
- Coping Ahead For Summer: How to Set Your Child Up for Success
- Helping your SuperSenser: An Introduction to DBT-C
- Practical Skills for Big Feelings: What DBT Can Offer Your Family
- Practical Tools for Anxiety and Mood: Understanding CBT