Dear Self-Parenting Practitioner,

If I were teaching Self-Parenting in seminars today, these Ten Steps to Attaining the Intermediate Practitioner Level of Self-Parenting are what I would be putting in your seminar notebook and having you fill out during the class. These Ten Steps are the most direct path to the most consciously perfect Self-Parenting Style you can achieve in a given time period of three to six months. Personally I have guided hundreds of people through these steps who have found their achievement to be concrete evidence of practical growth in Self-Parenting awareness.

Now, with the internet I give you these steps to guide new practitioners.

You don’t have to follow this exact order, but this order is the recommended best-case scenario. Each step however, is a crucial element of practitioner awareness and must be completed at some point during the process. The estimated time period to complete the steps is three to six months. You can’t honestly do all the steps in less than three months, and if you don’t finish them by six months, you are not trying.

So it’s your call. You are in charge of your own Self-Parenting Style. If you want the advantage of improving your Self-Parenting awareness by following a proven plan, then you are welcome to it. Simply print the sheet and use it to keep record of your progress. You may feel free to contact me via the website for clarification or guidelines on each step.

Once you have achieved the awareness of the Intermediate Practitioner, you will be much more inclined to understand and appreciate the advanced understandings of the blue book, modules, and practitioner exercises.

Yours in Self-Parenting,

John K. Pollard, III

Tens Steps to Intermediate Practitioner Status in the Self-Parenting Program

by John K. Pollard, III

Step 1: Read Self-Parenting: The Complete Guide To Your Inner Conversations

Obviously this is the first step to becoming an Intermediate Practitioner. If you like the book, and want to experience the results, this step will provide the motivation to begin sessions. This specifically means Part I & Part 2.

Step 2: Practice First Two Weeks of Daily S/P Sessions

Read Chapter 9 carefully.

Follow 23 steps article.

Be consistent with your daily sessions.

Only ask questions.

Do NOT dialogue with your Inner Child during the day.

Step 3: Send 2 Sample Sessions to the SPP for Evaluation

Email as attachments, at least two of your S/P sessions (Xeroxed or scanned) from your first week of practice to the SPP. These will be checked for form and format.

Step 4: Practice Second Two Weeks of Daily S/P Sessions

You have three options here:

1. You may repeat the first two weeks questions again. Do this if you are unsure of your sessions or have had trouble implementing all of the 23 steps.
2. Follow the Guidelines to Asking Your Own Questions article and start asking your own questions. Do this if you are confident that this will be easy for you and your sessions are going well.
3. Optional: Get the Personal Questions Module and use the sample questions to create your own sessions. Do this if you are a truly unsure and would like the confidence of "proper" questions.

Step 5: Practice the Self Esteem Module

After you have practicing sessions for about a month, get the S/E Module. Practice this process 2 to 3 days a week until you have gone through it once. Once completed, fax, mail, or email the S/E Evaluation form to the SPP.

Step 6: Alternate Modules Sessions With Self-Created Questions

The safest way to practice your sessions in the first three months is by using the Dialogue Template. Using this system you should be entirely comfortable "creating your own questions". If you are having problems coming up with your own questions, you should order the Personal Questions Module. You should still only be asking questions, and continuing to follow the 23 steps.

Step 7: Read P.E.T: Parent Effectiveness Training by Thomas Gordon

Somewhere during this time, begin reading PET. This book is very important to your Inner Parent's understanding of the S/P process. This book will open you up to the potential and power of positive S/P. As you read it, mentally substitute the words "Inner Parent" for "Parent" and "Inner Child" for "Child."

Step 8: Practice the Early Family Module

After you have finished the E/F Module, and hopefully after you've read PET, begin practicing the Early Family Module. Practice these sessions 2 to 3 days a week until you have finished them all. Once completed, fax, mail, or email the S/E Evaluation form to the SPP.

Step 9: Resolve 3 to 6 Major Inner Conflicts Using the Eight Steps of Inner Conflict Resolution

This might be the toughest step. The hard part is learning to recognize the presence of an Inner Conflict, and being able to separate it from the "Inner Bashing" that many practitioners practice. Reread Part II, of the yellow book, and use Chapter Seven to practice each step when you have an active Inner Conflict. Send at least one I/Con to the SPP for evaluation. To be successful Intermediate Practitioner, you must be very comfortable with diagnosing an Inner Conflict and following the Eight Steps to resolve it.

Step 10: Register Your Achievement with The Self-Parenting Program

Keep a record of the dates of completion for each step. Send in your early sessions and Inner Conflicts for evaluation. When you have completed each step, send me this form to evaluate and recognize your progress as an Intermediate Practitioner of the Self-Parenting Program.

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