Explore Our Courses

Anxiety Coach - Managing anxiety and building resilience in children aged 4-12.

There is now broad agreement among anxiety researchers that about one-third of anxiety in children is due to genes and temperament, while two-thirds of anxiety habits are learnt. This means that children mostly learn anxious thinking habits in the way they interact with others or situations. The goal of Anxiety Coach is to help parents develop strategies to help their children deal well with potentially anxiety producing situations. The course will cover the following topics:

  • An overview of how a well-honed theory of parenting (what you need to repeatedly do) can assist parents to manage children’s worries.

  • Some brain basics, including how the pre-frontal middle cortex and the amygdala operate, and where fear and anxiety originate.

  • Commonly misused phrases and cognitive distortions used by children and their peers.

  • A helicopter view of what risks we can allow and which require us to keep children safe. • ‘Traps and trip wires’: what to do when a child’s amygdala starts to play-up.

  • Memorable strengthening sayings, questioning strategies and mindfulness exercises

Anxiety Coach was developed by Dr Michael Hawton, head of the Parent Shop and will be facilitated by Gai and Graham Irvine.

The program is a 3 meeting program and will run at

Engaging Adolescents - parenting tough issues with teenagers

Parenting teenagers can be tricky at the best of times. But when the tough issues arise — behavioural problems, unacceptable risk-taking, lack of motivation to fit in with the family’s values — parents can struggle with what to do, their child often seemingly out of reach to their influence. Drawing on psychologist Michael Hawton’s 30 years of experience, Engaging Adolescents is a practical guide to help you steer your teenager through the challenging times with confidence.

The course will cover the following topics.

  • Parenting roles

  • Personality differences

  • Reasonable expectations

  • Communicating with your teen - PASTA

Engaging Adolescents was developed by Dr Michael Hawton, head of the Parent Shop and will be facilitated by Gai and Graham Irvine.

The program is a 3 meeting program and will run at

  • Kingsway Christian College, Wednesdays May 13, 20 and 27, (2026) from 7 to 9 p.m. Room Venue TBA

  • Riverview Church, Wednesdays June 3, 10 and 17, (2026) from 7 to 9 p.m.

    • To register for Engaging Adolescents - Riverview Church Registration - Click here