Aikin Associates

Friday, July 8 (for parents only) &
Saturday, July 9 (for parents and teens)

 

In conjunction with EFT trainers Gail Palmer and Jim Furrow, and with the blessings of Dr. Sue Johnson, author of Hold Me Tight and Love Sense and developer of the Hold Me Tight Workshop for Couples, Drs. Nancy and Paul Aikin are developing a program: Hold Me Tight/Let Me Go for Families with Teens. Utilizing Dr. Sue Johnson’s empirically validated concepts of love, modified to fit the attachment systems present in family life, we are focusing on parents and teens. This is an educational, enrichment program designed to strengthen the bonds between teens and their parents. With the help of exercises, structured parent/teen conversations, and group support, families will grow appreciation of how to rely on each other when Hold Me Tight is accompanied by Let Me Go during this important transitional stage of family life. In our previous teen family workshops, parents said it was difficult to persuade their teens to attend but at the end of the day teens and parents all shared that they were glad they came and were helped by the experience. Most were enthusiastic. A common experience of both teens and parents toward each other was, “I didn’t know that they felt vulnerable underneath their exterior and that knowledge made a huge difference in our relationship.”

In the comfortable setting of our home, we will work to strengthen the parenting alliance, explore the nature of parent/child attachment, discover methods to deescalate conflict and introduce ways to build more trust and safety with each other in the family. We will have wonderful food created especially for the weekend, video clips to watch, discussions with teens and parents separately and then together to take advantage of peer support in this group setting. The workshop is a time for parents and teens to learn from one another that they are not alone in their challenges.

Often couples lose their bearings and get into conflicts when parenting their teenagers. On Friday night we will meet just with parents to strengthen their caregiving relationship.

Often teens report feeling misunderstood and hurt as their natural desire for autonomy seems at times thwarted by parents just trying to do the right thing. On Saturday teens will join their parents and with group support have an opportunity to communicate about their experience guided by structured exercises.

Please think of us and refer teen families that you think would benefit from this kind of group relational experience. Many of the previously referred families were referred by the individual therapist working with the teen.If you have any questions about these family workshops feel free to email (paul@aikinassociates.com) or call us at 530-758-1912 (Nancy) or 530-758-1960 (Paul).

 

When:   Friday Night 7:00 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to Noon & 1:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Where: 1107 Ovejas Ave., Davis, CA 95616

Cost:     $500 per family

 

Registration:

Cost: $500 per family

To register, please fill out the following form and return: Hold Me Tight & Let Me Go Registration

 

Nancy Aikin, Ph.D. and Paul Aikin, Ph.D. are psychologists with over forty years of clinical experience and are certified as EFT Trainers, therapists and supervisors in Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) approach.

 

Cancellation Policy:

Two weeks+ advance notice – Full refund less $40 administrative costs
Between 7-13 days notice – One half of the total fee will be refunded
Less than 1 week notice – We are unable to offer a refund when canceled within one week of the workshop date, due to fixed costs and contractual obligations. When you enroll, it is with the understanding that you will attend. Please contact us as soon as possible if you need to cancel your attendance.