The SELF-PARENTING Program has made remarkable breakthroughs in understanding the Self-Parenting process, both in developing the process and creating the mental/emotional climate that enhances this growth. We want every new practitioner to take full advantage of this fantastic tool.

The SELF-PARENTING Program is a very sophisticated mental/emotional activity never before presented. The book, SELF-PARENTING: The Complete Guide To Your Inner Conversations, has made learning this process accessible and easy to understand. However, therein lays a problem.

Most people, including therapists, do not understand the sophisticated subtleties of the SELF-PARENTING Program because they have no frame of reference. They may be familiar with “inner child” work, but nothing they could have done before has the strength or power of practicing the SELF-PARENTING Program. The SELF-PARENTING Program is “Inner Parent” work not "Inner Child” work, and the importance of this crucial distinction has so far eluded most people.

With this in mind, we include this information to clarify what we mean by the SELF-PARENTING Program. This information is particularly important if you have not recently reviewed Chapter 9 in SELF-PARENTING: The Complete Guide To Your Inner Conversations.

The structure and format of the Self-Parenting sessions is designed to protect your Inner Child from a negative Inner Parent during the first three months of sessions. Some people do not receive the full benefits of practicing the SELF-PARENTING Program because they think that changing some aspect is “no big deal.” The structure of the sessions is purposefully strict not only to guide, but also to teach your Inner Parent. Since most people are completely unaware of their true Self-Parenting style until they have done at least three months of conscious sessions, this was a very important consideration in the design of the program.

During the first three months, you as the Inner Parent, don’t have to do much to receive positive benefits. By asking open-ended questions and saying, “Thank you, Inner Child, for telling me that” your Self-Parenting style will automatically become more positive just because you are spending thirty minutes a day “one-on-one” with your Inner Child. Demanding too much too soon from this process will sabotage your progress. Most problems in the first three to six months of Self-Parenting occur because of a well-meaning but misguided Inner Parent.

It is especially important that you, as the Inner Parent, don’t subject your Inner Child to faulty instructional practices during your sessions. If you are already following the procedures exactly as outlined in Chapters 9 this information will reaffirm your practice. We have found that most of you having problems have been altering the SELF-PARENTING Program unknowingly, which will not create the results you expect.