Dads and Lads

For some time now there has been a growing awareness that males in our society are struggling. Much of this has to do with a significant change in the role of fathers.

Dr Dempsey has been working with families for over 10 years helping them communicate better and improving relationships between fathers and sons in particular. To achieve this, he offers an intensive 8 week course designed specifically for fathers and sons to help them tackle relevant and contemporary issues for males.

 

Building Families 8 Week Program

Who is this program aimed at?

This program is designed to target male youths ideally in the 13 -16 age bracket. You will know when your boy is ready – when he hits puberty, when he grunts rather than talks, when he can’t get out of the house or off the X Box, when he looks less happy than he used to – when you have a sense that you are ‘losing him’.

 

How are our boys going?

Social indicators in the domains of obesity, crime and justice, and education have all deteriorated for boys in Australia over the last 20 years (OECD, 2012).

In school, 90% of children with behaviour problems are boys and over 80% of children with learning problems are also boys (Biddulph, 1995).

In addition, boys are less likely than girls to complete high school (Year 12) education, and less likely to go on to university (ABS, 2012; Dept of Ed, Science and Training, 2006a).

 

Program objectives

  1. To provide an opportunity for fathers to have facilitated and safe conversations with their boys. Some of the issues that will be raised include:
    • Communication
    • Respect
    • Grief and loss
    • Relationships and sexuality
    • Peer group pressure
    • Rites of Passage
  2. Proactively intervene to improve relationships between fathers and sons and mothers and sons before serious problems arise.
  3. Improve communication between fathers and sons and mothers and sons.
  4. Assist men to change their lives by rethinking what it means to be a man.
  5. Help men to actively father their sons and facilitate their growth from boys into men.
  6. Help mothers understand their vital role in the development of their boys into young men.
  7. Improve communication between all members of the family.

 

Expected outcomes

  1. Parents can expect to develop a deeper, more mature relationship with their sons. In particular, fathers and sons can expect to enjoy their relationship and revel in a new found atmosphere of positive, passionate masculinity.
  2. Parents can expect to build a platform for ongoing, sensitive conversations (about what it is to be a man, grief and loss, the challenges of life and sexuality).
  3. Parents can expect to meet other parents who are also passionate about connecting with their sons in an authentic, masculine way and forming part of a community of support for families, fathers, mothers and sons

 

Who is running the program?

Dr Shaun Dempsey from Townsville Clinical Psychology Services has been working with families for over 10 years helping them communicate better and improving relationships between fathers and sons in particular. Areas of specialty include working with:

  1. Child and Youth Mental health with Queensland Health conducting individual and family therapy.
  2. Adolescent Forensic Mental Health working with adolescent boys in Cleveland Youth Detention Centre.
  3. Working with men and families in the Australian Defence Force through the Trauma Recovery Centre in Townsville.

 

Number of sessions

8 sessions – for 1 ½ hours per session each week from 7.30-9pm.

 

Interested??

Contact Dr Dempsey at tcps@aapt.net.au for an application package.