The philosophy of the workshop
The Gordon philosophy aims at harmonious relationships and managing family problems through connection. Punishments and yelling may seem to work, but they run the risk of seriously damaging the parent-child relationship.
Sophia Klotsa is a certified Consultant of Gordon Hellas which operates under the auspices of Gordon Training International.
The Effective Parent Training seminar was first presented by the clinical psychologist Dr. Thomas Gordon, and has been recognized internationally as the first teacher training based on communication skills. It has been taught to more than a million teachers – and parents – in 43 countries, while the related Teacher & Parent Effectiveness Training books have sold over 5 million copies, in 33 languages.
In Dr. Gordon’s philosophy there is the belief that children are not bad or mischievous; they are just trying to satisfy their needs at any given moment. A three-year-old girl jumps on the sofa because she wants to have fun and play; a sixteen-year-old boy comes home late because he feels the need to be with his friends.
It is a non-punitive model that replaces punishments and rewards with specific and actionable communication skills that help parents understand children’s needs, confront their unacceptable behaviors with respect and understanding, and finally find mutually acceptable ones. solutions. And all this, preserving and strengthening the relationship between them.
The aim of the seminar is to equip parents with the necessary skills to raise their children in a way that will promote their sense of responsibility, autonomy, self-discipline, cooperation, social interest and usefulness to society as a whole. This is achieved not in a domineering or submissive manner, but by cultivating the innate positive elements that each person has. The parent-child relationship is catalytic and these skills help create a meaningful and harmonious relationship.
The success of the seminar is mainly due to the fact that it is not enough to transmit some theoretical knowledge, but to lay solid foundations of practical learning, which will bring immediate, real and recognizable results to the daily problems of the family. To this end, the seminar is experiential and, in addition to short lectures, places particular emphasis on practical exercises, role plays, discussions and exchanges of opinions and experiences. The five axes developed in the seminars are:
• How to facilitate my child to solve his problems effectively, without being intrusive.
• How to assert my needs when they are hindered by my child’s behavior, without risking my relationship with him.
• How to create a meaningful and harmonious relationship with my child and how to prevent potential conflicts with prevention skills.
• How to settle conflicts of needs, when they arise, in an equal and democratic way so that there are no losers.
• How to handle Conflicts of Values with respect and sensitivity.