Parenting Support Group
Parenting isn’t meant to be this hard.
You may be finding parenting feels overwhelming. Perhaps you find yourself snapping when you don’t want to. Maybe your baby’s crying leaves you feeling helpless.
Perhaps you spend hours worrying whether you’re doing enough. Or maybe you keep comparing yourself to every other parent and wondering why they seem to cope better.
If any of that feels familiar, you’re not alone. You don’t need to become a perfect parent.
You simply need a way of making sense of what’s happening, for both your child and yourself. That’s exactly what Circle of Security Parenting helps with.
This group might be right for you if:
You worry you’re getting parenting “wrong”
You find your child’s emotions overwhelming
You struggle with guilt or self-criticism
Parenting feels harder than you expected
You want to understand your child better
You’d like to feel calmer and more confident
You’re pregnant and want to prepare for becoming a parent
The Circle of Security Parenting (COS-P) Programme has been designed to support and strengthen parent-child relationships. We all want to do the best we can for our children, yet parenting can be really challenging – our babies and children don’t come with a manual, and responding to their needs can be confusing, especially when they are expressed with big emotions and more difficult behaviours.
As parents, we are exposed to so much ‘noise’ about how to parent, from society, social media, and our own internal templates for parenting. The group provides parents with ‘a map’ for understanding and responding to their children in a way that promotes attachment security between parents and their children. It supports parents to understand where parenting feels challenging and where responses to children’s needs can be influenced by one’s own experience of being parented.
The programme focuses on strengths and nurturing your existing relationship to give your children the best start in life. Research shows that forming a secure attachment with caregivers has a positive impact on a child’s empathy, emotion regulation, self-esteem and relationships.
What you’ll gain:
- Making sense of what your baby/child is asking for from you
- Understanding your baby/child’s emotional world and recognising their emotional needs
- Supporting your baby/child’s ability to manage emotions
- Understanding what’s needed for a secure parent-child relationship
- Being with the struggles of parenting and making sense of these
Practicalities
We invite you to join us for 8 weekly sessions with a small group of parents navigating similar experiences.
Group sessions will be facilitated online (via Zoom) for 90 minutes using video clips and with space to reflect and discuss the main ideas presented. There is no pressure to talk – sometimes you might feel like speaking and at other times won’t.
You are welcome to have your baby present with you if you don’t have any childcare available. There are handouts to accompany each session to look back on afterwards and/or share with your partner or family members.
Partners are welcome to attend. Video summaries of each session will be available to for those who cannot attend live.
Session Dates
Tuesdays 10.00-11.30am on Zoom –
Session 1 – Oct 6th
Session 2 – Oct 10th
Session 3 – Oct 20th
(break for half term)
Session 4 – Nov 3rd
Session 5 – Nov 10th
Session 6 – Nov 17th
Session 7 – Nov 24th
Session 8 – Dec 1st
Cost
The course will cost £350 standard for the eight weekly sessions or EARLYBIRD price £300 if booked before 31st July 2026.
Facilitators
The group is facilitated by Sarah and Florence who are experienced perinatal Clinical Psychologists, trained in the COS-P programme, and are both parents themselves. They bring warmth and compassion to provide a safe, non-judgemental space along with honesty, humour and humanness. See more information Sarah and Florence below.
What if I am anxious about joining?
Many parents tell us they’re nervous about joining a group. Please note that you won’t be expected to share personal experiences unless you want to. You can simply listen. Everyone joins feeling a little uncertain and most parents tell us they quickly realise they’re not alone. We are happy to arrange a chat prior to the group if you want to talk to us about any of your worries about joining.
Having a space to reflect on my own parenting in the group has meant that I am more able to take an observing stance when with my children, i.e., an ability to ‘zoom out’ and see what is happening for myself and for my children in difficult situations.
It was really helpful to be able to do the group with my partner, I feel like we have a shared language now.
We have always been a team, but now I feel as though we are a team working from the same play sheet.
I am more aware of why my children are doing things and also why I’m reacting the way I am. It’s helped me look at myself in the moment and focus on what the child actually needs when they are struggling. The course was very useful. You made me feel comfortable in sharing and it was useful to be able to vocalise my stresses and worries about my own parenting. I think I’m a better dad as a result of the course.
I think most of all I found it helpful to hear from other parents and their struggles which makes you feel like you’re not alone. I feel like I understand my child’s needs more than I did previously. Instead of instantly reacting I assess what I think their needs are and it helps me deal with it in a more considered way.
Listen to our clinician Florence Bristow, Clinical Psychologist and perinatal expert as she joins the BBC parenting podcast, Parenting Download, to offer practical ways to challenge self-criticism and explains why we should pay attention to our inner “shark music.”
Your Course Facilitators
Dr Sarah Healy
Clinical Director and Chartered Clinical Psychologist
About Me
I’m Sarah, the Clinical Director and Founder of the Perinatal Psychology Practice. For over 15 years, I’ve worked alongside parents through the many changes that come with pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.
This period of life can be deeply meaningful, and it can also feel overwhelming, frightening, or lonely at times. Many parents I meet are surprised by how difficult things feel and worry that they’re somehow “failing” or should be coping better. My role is to offer a calm, compassionate space where you can talk openly about what you’re experiencing and begin to feel more grounded, supported, and connected again.
I have a particular interest in supporting parents experiencing perinatal OCD, the effects of trauma (including birth trauma), perinatal loss, infertility, and relationship difficulties during the perinatal period.
Why I Do This Work
I do this work because I believe no parent should have to struggle in silence.
So often, people carry worry, guilt, or fear on their own and can be concerned about being judged or not knowing where to turn. I’m passionate about creating a space where those feelings can be spoken about safely and with kindness. When we feel truly understood, change and healing become possible.
At the heart of my work is the belief that support should feel human, collaborative, and reassuring – especially during such a vulnerable and important time of life.
My Approach and Experience
I’m a HCPC-registered Consultant Clinical Psychologist with specialist experience in perinatal mental health. In my work, I aim to balance professional expertise with warmth, empathy, and genuine care, so therapy feels both supportive and effective.
I trained at University College London and have worked in a range of NHS perinatal mental health services. I draw on a variety of therapeutic approaches, including CBT, EMDR, Compassion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Behavioural Couples Therapy, which allows me to tailor therapy to you, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Alongside my clinical work, I’m involved in research, teaching, supervision, and the development of national standards in perinatal mental health. I’m also a member of the Perinatal Faculty Committee of the British Psychological Society and a co-founder of the Pearl Institute of Perinatal Psychology.
While these roles help ensure the care I offer is thoughtful, ethical, and evidence-based, at the heart of it all my focus remains simple: helping parents feel supported, understood, and less alone.
I’m registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Dr Florence Bristow
Clinical Psychologist
About Me
I’m Florence, a Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years’ experience working in NHS mental health services, mainly in specialist perinatal teams. This has led me to specialise in supporting individuals and families through the transition to parenthood, including challenges related to conception, pregnancy, and parenting.
As a parent myself, I understand the many changes and challenges that can arise during this time. It can feel overwhelming, and it’s often hard to ask for help. It can also be a time where there is an opportunity to pause, reflect, and help things feel more manageable for you and your family.
I bring a warm, compassionate, and non-judgemental approach to my work. My aim is to create a space where you feel safe to reflect on your experiences, explore difficulties, and work towards the changes that feel most important to you.
Why I Do This Work
The journey to parenthood can be one of the most challenging times in a person’s life, yet it often comes with very little support in our busy, modern society. I know how much of a difference it can make to feel heard, understood, and supported in what you are navigating right now.
I support individuals experiencing a range of difficulties, including anxiety, low mood, trauma, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, adjusting to parenthood, and experiences of loss.
I’m particularly interested in supporting relationships between parents and their babies or children to thrive – we get told how important they are but early relationships can be challenging. Parenthood can also bring up reminders of our own early life experiences and of being cared for ourselves, and making space for this in therapy (if it feels right for you) is very welcome.
My Approach and Experience
My work is informed by a range of evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and attachment-based interventions. I’m also trained in Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) and Circle of Security Parenting, which support confidence and connection within parent–child relationships.
I work collaboratively and flexibly, taking time to understand your needs, strengths, and goals so that therapy feels tailored and supportive.
Alongside my clinical work, I’m a lecturer on a doctoral training programme in Clinical Psychology. I’m involved in research with fathers and have worked at a national level to improve the involvement of partners and families in NHS perinatal services. Many dads and non-birthing parents have found this experience helpful in feeling understood and supported through the challenges of parenthood.
I’m registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Any Questions?
Spaces are limited as our intention is to create a safe, intimate space for the group. So please don’t delay in getting in touch to discuss further.
You can email us with any queries or to discuss booking your space.