You know that stomach-drop feeling when you realize a parent really needs to be in session, but scheduling it stops you cold? Yeah. We've been there. And we're here to tell you: that feeling doesn't mean you're not ready. It means you're about to get gritty.

In this episode, we walk you through a simple 3-step framework for your next parent session, so you can stop avoiding it and start actually doing it.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Step 1: Attune first. Ask what's going well before anything else. It's intentional, it opens the door, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.

Step 2: Share your clinical lens. Use the "pan in, pan out" technique to show parents the progress they're living through but can't see. Name the shifts.

Step 3: Pick one behavior + explain the why. Connect current behavior to past trauma. Psychoeducation is your superpower — use it.

THE BIGGER PICTURE:
You are the neutralizer. Without you in the room, parents and kids can't co-regulate together. When you attune to the parent, the parent can attune to the child. That's the gift you're giving the whole family system.

YOUR GRITTY CHALLENGE:
Open your calendar right now. Find one client whose parent hasn't been in. Schedule it within two weeks. Grit comes from the reps — so go do the thing.

Essential listening for therapists working with children, adolescents, and families navigating trauma, attachment, anxiety, ADHD, and behavioral challenges.

Connect with us! Check out our freebies and our NEW Grit School:

• Therapist AF: Grit School for the Real World, practical skills, nervous system grounding, and the reps grad school skipped
• The Gritty Therapist freebies, tools, and support: thegrittytherapist.com
• The Cord Where Science Meets Connection attachment/trauma-focused therapy.

Follow along on Instagram @grittytherapist and go get your gritty on.