Connective Parenting 
Foundation Course

This is the complete Connective Parenting NVR training for parents & carers

A small group course, entirely focused and tailored to suit your family’s individual needs. It’s the perfect mix of group and individual support.

Are you finding life at home difficult?

Do you feel like your children are in control?

Would you like to start taking back control and bring some peace to your home?

Discover the foundations of Connective Parenting NVR and bring about change in your family through connection and presence.

During this course we will look at all aspects of NVR and how you can use it to change the relationship you have with your children and bring more peace and harmony to your home.

Find out how to:

Manage
meltdowns

Develop a positive bond with your child

Prioritise your concerns

Identify and use your supporters

Hold a safe space for your child to grow and understand themselves

Learn how to resist challenging behaviour, in a way that supports your child’s development

Hear experiences from other parents and carers who get it. You’re not alone.

What’s involved?

On this course we provide a mixture of group and individual support, through which you’ll discover the foundations of Connective Parenting NVR. You’ll be supported to bring about change in your family through connection and presence. It’s your opportunity to get focused, expert support for your particular situation.

We start with 8 group sessions, once a week and then 4 individual sessions. There are no more than 8 families in each group.

  • Focused, expert support for YOUR situation
  • Individual support
  • 4 individual sessions
  • Small personally selected groups of no more than 8 families
  • Group support
  • 8 group sessions

We would rate Sarah very highly, we found her to be very knowledgeable and experienced which makes a huge difference when someone has lived through your experiences.”

Sarah the course was very good and I am so pleased to have discovered you and all the knowledge that you have. The course has been very helpful and it is reassuring to now I know that you are there as a knowledgeable resource

“It’s been an invaluable course and now just need time to embed these new techniques that I hope will continue to benefit my son but the whole family too”

Everything you need to create more harmony at home

The course is run online and facilitated by two NVR Practitioners from Sarah’s Coaching team and includes…

Live weekly training

For the first 8 weeks of the course you’ll receive live online group training with your NVR Practitioner group leaders. The training sessions last 90 minutes and are run on the same day each week. There’s a maximum of 8 families on our courses.

Workbook

You’ll receive a digital workbook to help support your learning on the live Zoom training sessions each week.

Access to our online pre-recorded course

As well as the live calls, you will also receive 16 weeks’ free access to the Connective Family library where you can benefit from the pre-recorded version of this course to further support your learning on the live calls.

4 x One to One sessions with one of your group leaders

Your online course will be run by two of our NVR Practitioners, and you’ll receive four 60- minute sessions with one of your trainers which will be bookable towards the end of the 8-week period. These sessions are invaluable time spent with our trainers who can help you tailor what you’ve learned to your exact situation.

Build a support network

Connect and engage with other parents and carers who get it. Hear from others with similar experiences and feel less isolated. Many of our participants go on to become each other’s supporters long after the eight weeks are over.

Apply for an upcoming course

The course costs
£1,045 + VAT

If you are self funding please speak to us about discounted places.

This includes the 8 group sessions, 4 individual sessions and access to a pre-recorded version of the course for 16 weeks you can watch any time.

January 2024 evening sessions

Tuesdays

Starting on 16th January 2024

7.15 – 8.45pm

Feburary 2024 daytime sessions

Tuesdays

Starting on 20th Feburary 2024

9.30 – 11am

Apply for your space

We ask for applications for this course so that we can ensure it’s the right course for you.

Funding for this course may be available through the ASF – click here for more information

$

Local Authorities and organisations

If you work for a Local Authority or organisation and you think this course might help some of the families you’re working with, get in touch here and we’ll be happy to help.

We would rate Sarah very highly, we found her to be very knowledgeable and experienced which makes a huge difference when someone has lived through your experiences.”

Is Connective Parenting NVR what YOU really need right now?

I haven’t yet had a situation where we haven’t been able to improve things when the parents have been willing to put the time in.

We've worked with...

Adoptive parents, birth parents, carers and family members.

We've worked with...

families whose children who have attachment difficulties, developmental trauma, FASD, ADHD…

We've worked with...

parents of very determined 3 year olds up to early 20 year-olds holding a knife to their parents throats…

We've worked with...

Parents who just want to understand themselves and their children and want to be sure they’re doing the best they can.

Here’s what we’ll be covering over the 8 weeks

Week 1

We’ll be looking at connection, both with ourselves and our children.  We’ll think about emotions, where they come from and our responses to them. This week will lay the foundations for the coming weeks progress. 

Week 2

We’ll discover how to manage meltdowns – what to do and what not to. De-escalation and reducing meltdowns is one of the things we’re asked about most and we’ll look at how we do that whilst also creating connection and raising presence.

Week 3

We’ll continue to look at those difficult moments and think about how we respond afterwards through our words and actions.   

Week 4

We’ll look at where you need to put your energy and what to prioritise. In NVR terms, this is called baskets and often something our course members find most useful.

Week 5

We’ll be looking at your supporters, who they are, who they aren’t, and how you can get the support you need from them.

Week 6

We’ll be looking in more detail at connection through every interaction we have with our child and how simple acts like relational gestures can help.

Week 7

We’ll talk about what the announcement and the Sit In are, discuss what they are all about, and help you identify times where this is helpful as well as times when it isn’t going to get you anywhere.

Week 8

The last week of this course is your chance to reflect on everything we’ve covered, ask any questions and look at how to keep moving forwards and planning your individual support sessions.

…and above all

Supportive, caring and personal group training

I know from running group programmes for many years the benefits they can have for parents and carers.  Sometimes we can feel totally stuck but hearing from others can help us see we are not lone and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Through this course we take a deep dive in to the Connective Parenting NVR approach, help you think about how to adjust it to meet your families needs and we support you step by step as you implement it within our live weekly calls.

You aren’t fed information and then left to run with it alone.

Each week we look at the theory and then get practical – how will you use it.  Theory is good and we need it, but it’s the practical support that I’m told is the powerful part of our courses.  You’re not left to work it out for yourself, we are there with you.

Over the eight weeks of the group section of the course, you will be able to ask for our support, our feedback and clarification on anything you need to support you.  You also have access to your course leaders between the sessions via email. Over those eight weeks, we will get to know you and your own personal circumstances, allowing us to help you tailor the approach to the specific needs of your family.

Alongside your group training, you will also receive four 60 minute sessions with one of the course leaders.  These sessions help us dive even deeper into supporting you and providing more individual support.

Thank you Sarah for your amazing work and helping me build a better relationship with my children

The course was very helpful and just the right amount of parents.

Sarah the course was very good and I am so pleased to have discovered you and all the knowledge that you have. The course has been very helpful and it is reassuring to now I know that you are there as a knowledgeable resource

Got some questions?

Will this approach work for me?

As with any course, we can’t offer any guarantee but we do know from the hundreds of families we work with  using Connective Parenting® NVR, things do change. But as always you, as the parent, have to be willing to look at how you are parenting and potentially make tweaks. That doesn’t mean you’re not doing a brilliant job right now, but if you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and things aren’t changing, we’re here to help you get out of that rut with some tweaks.

Will this course change my child's behaviour?

Many parenting programs are focused on managing a child’s behaviour. That’s not what this is.  We are passionate about understanding the reasons behind a child’s behaviour, therefore empowering you as the parent to recognise what’s happening for your child and help them to grow and develop emotionally.

But as always you, as the parent, have to be willing to look at how you are parenting and potentially make tweaks. That doesn’t mean you’re not doing a brilliant job right now, but if you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and things aren’t changing, we’re here to help you get out of that rut with some tweaks.

Can I get funding for this course?

Yes! You can talk to your social worker to enquire if ASF funding is an option for you. There may be other funding possibilites available to you depending on your circumstances – please speak to the relevant person and ask them to contact us to discuss.

How much does it cost?

The course costs £1045 + VAT per family and includes 4 individual sessions in addition to the 8 group sessions, as well as 16 weeks access to my digital recorded version of this course.

The cost includes access for both parents to attend the same course.

Please note that there is an additional cost for end of course reports for those that require them. Please contact our support team at training@connectivefamily.com to find out more about the additional cost.

Can I pay in instalments?

If you are self funding for this course, you can contact our training co-ordinator directly using the form below to discuss a possible payment plan.

Who will the trainers be?

The course is always run by two NVR Practitioners from the Sarah Fisher Coaching team. You can find out more about our practitioners here

Do we have to use Zoom?

All sessions are held on Zoom. If you’re not keen on being “on camera” it’s absolutely fine for you to attend the calls with your camera off. You don’t need any fancy equipment if you’ve not used Zoom before. Your usual device with the Zoom app downloaded beforehand will do the job just fine.

Do the calls run for 8 weeks straight?

Calls are every week, expect for school holidays. There won’t be a call during half term week, but please check which week that will be on the booking form for your selected course dates, as half terms can differ across the country.

Does NVR work with other therapies?

Yes, it works with lots of other approaches. For example, PACE is a great way of helping you build parental presence.

I'm concerned about our security and confidentiality?

As a fellow adopter I totally understand that.  You are not required to use your real name on the call and your details will not be shared with anyone. Everything discussed on the calls is confidential.

Contact the Connective Family coaching team

If you’re an organisation or local authority wishing to book this course for the families you support, or you are a parent or carer with a question we haven’t answered on this page, please don’t hesitate to complete the contact form and our training co-ordinator will get back to you as soon as possible within normal working hours.

Or, you can email training@connectivefamily.com with your enquiry.