Marin Parents Place’s Programs and Services Address Your Family’s Needs

Marin Mommies presents a guest article by Rebecca Wood Breen, LCSW, Parents Place Coordinator, Marin County. She highlights some of the programs and services offered to Marin parents by the Parents Place in San Rafael.

Your 2-year-old constantly throws himself on the floor when he doesn’t get what he wants. Your 5-year-old torments her 3-year-old sister. Your 13-year-old won’t speak to her step-father. And you’re so worn out from managing one domestic crisis after another that going to work in the morning seems like a vacation.What can you do?

Parents Place in Marin County can’t take you away from your challenges and problems, but we can help you resolve them and make life better for yourself and your family. We gear all of our programs toward practical, effective, easy-to-implement solutions that are custom-tailored to meet your family’s specific needs. Our range of services includes:

• Support for expectant and new parents, including a free New Moms’ Support Group, Preparing for Childbirth with Yoga couples workshops, Infant Sleep and Infant Massage workshops, and breastfeeding support. We recognize the importance of support and community during this exciting and challenging transition.
• Parent/child activity groups—including mom and baby yoga classes, cooking workshops, and music and movement groups—that allow young children to express themselves and develop their imaginations and provide opportunities for new parents to bond with their children.
• Parent workshops, which address concerns and issues moms and dads face with children of every age—newborn to college-bound teens. Facilitated by experts in their field, workshops run the gamut: from discipline and anger management (for both children and parents) to sibling conflicst and child self-esteem.
• Consultation and coaching sessions, which offer parents individualized and effective strategies to manage a broad spectrum of issues, such as sleep, discipline, eating, homework, school choice, and sibling rivalry.
• Special needs assessments and diagnostic services for children who may have developmental, learning, behavioral, occupational, sensory, or psychological challenges. At Parents Place, our psychologists, social workers, family therapists, behavioral specialists, and other professionals can help identify your children’s challenges and offer treatments as well as other resources and referrals.
• Child and family counseling. Our licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists are skilled and experienced clinicians who work with children and families facing many of life’s challenges, including changes in family dynamics due to separation, divorce, or death; stress and anxiety disorders; depression; trauma-related difficulties; and social isolation and interpersonal difficulties.
• Bully prevention workshops to assist administrators, teachers, camp counselors, parents, and other concerned adults in identifying, stopping, and preventing bullying in schools, homes, and the community.

Parents Place in Marin County is located in downtown San Rafael at 600 Fifth Avenue. Contact them at (415) 491-7959 or visit them online at www.parentsplaceonline.org/marin.