In this episode of Advanced Consultation, Dr. Rachel LaFleur talks with Dr. Amanda Moen, a psychologist at Cook Children’s in Fort Worth, Texas. They explore what behavioral parent training is and bring you behind the scenes to discuss what it takes to thrive in this work, whether you’re a parent or a clinician.

What they cover

• Training stories.They look back on their early training, including the lessons of vulnerability and learning from mistakes. 
• Parents are doing their best.Dr. Moen explains why every parent who walks into her office is doing the best they can with the resources they have. Parents can’t take all the credit or all the blame for how their child turns out.
• Consistency feels safe.Predictable responses, including consistent consequences, help kids feel secure. They explain how this differs from gentle parenting and from authoritarian parenting. The goal is high expectations paired with high warmth.
• Social learning in plain terms.Dr. Moen uses a speeding-ticket analogy to show how people learn from being told, being shown, and experiencing the result themselves. Rachel adds her own speed-camera example.
• What sessions look like.They compare parent-only sessions (Parent Management Training, SPACE), live coaching in PCIT, and family-based approaches that blend in CBT and ACT.
• Data in treatment.They discuss rating scales, tracking progress, and having parents grade their own strategy use. They also talk about how this keeps the work grounded in evidence while staying human.
• Why it matters.Changing behavior changes thinking, and kids and families are often frustrated when therapy is based in the reverse. When behavioral parent training is done well, the work should pay off, and should never add to “intensive parenting.”