Parenting Through Teens
6-week Course
Parenting Through Teens
After months in the making, The Ü Clinic is delighted to host a new workshop series, launching in Autumn 2026, aimed at parents of teens. The adolescent years can be one of the most challenging in life, and a phase in which many parents feel quite alone, not knowing how to best support their child.
Drawing on first-hand experience of parenting teens, this six-week course will be led by Dr Shiv, GP & Lifestyle Medicine Specialist and Carleen Kirk, Child & Adolescent Therapist, to provide parents with both clinical-based education on the changing teenage mind and body as well as creating a community to help parents feel heard, strengthened and empowered to best support their teens.
What we will cover
Week 1 – The Biology and Psychology of Adolescence
Week 2 – Communication in the Rupture/Repair Phase
Week 3 – The Good, The Bad, The Ugly in Relationships
Week 4 – Lifestyle to Support The Changes
Week 5 – Social Media and Social Connection – The Angel or The Devil
Week 6 – Parent Nurture
Dates, Location & Fees
Next course dates: Tuesday 3rd November – Tuesday 8th December 2026
Duration: 6 weeks, comprising of a 2 hour face to face session per week on Tuesday from 6.30-8.30pm
Participants: Small group of up to 10 persons
Location: The Ü Clinic, 74 London Road, Riverhead, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2DN
Course Fee: £299 per person payable in advance
What can parents expect from the course?
The course has been designed a little like an NCT course for the teenage years!
When people are preparing to have a baby, there is an expectation that they will need information, practical skills and support from others going through the same experience. Yet when those children become teenagers—and family life changes all over again—parents are often left to navigate this new stage largely by themselves.
This course aims to change that.
Parents will learn more about the changing teenage mind and body, what to expect during adolescence and why teenagers may think, feel and behave differently during this period. Alongside this understanding, they will explore practical skills and approaches that can help them navigate challenges, maintain communication and strengthen their relationship with their teenager.
This is not a course about becoming a “perfect” parent. Adolescence is messy and relationships are imperfect. Instead, it is about helping parents recognise the power of how they respond and connect, and giving them greater confidence to navigate difficult moments.
The small-group setting is an important part of the course. It offers parents an opportunity to talk honestly with others experiencing the same stage of family life, learn from one another and build supportive relationships. In a world where both parents and teenagers can increasingly feel busy, disconnected and isolated, the course aims to create something that can sometimes be missing: genuine community.
The hope is that these connections will continue beyond the course, with parents forming friendships and support networks of their own.
Dr Shivanthy Sivasothy, GP & Lifestyle Medicine Specialist and Carleen Kirk, Child & Adolescent Therapist
A note from the course founders - why we have launched this course
The Parenting Through Teens course grew out of both personal experience and professional insight.
As parents ourselves, we know first-hand how suddenly the teenage years can change the dynamic of family life. Parenting can begin to feel unfamiliar and uncertain, leaving even experienced parents wondering: Is this normal? Am I handling this in the right way? How can I best support my teenager?
Alongside our own experiences of parenting teenagers, our work as a GP and a Child & Adolescent Therapist has shown us how little support is available to families at an early stage. Too often, professional help only becomes accessible once difficulties have escalated and a young person is already struggling significantly.
We wanted to create something earlier and more preventative: a course that supports the people who play one of the most important roles in a teenager’s life—their parents and carers.
At the heart of the course is a belief in the power of ordinary relationships. Parents do not have to be perfect or have all the answers to make a difference. By helping parents understand what is happening during adolescence and recognise the value of the relationship they already have with their teenager, the course aims to help parents feel more informed, empowered and confident in how they show up for their child.
Just as importantly, it creates a space where parents can be honest about the challenges of this stage of family life and discover that they are not alone.
What can parents expect from the course?
The course has been designed a little like an NCT course for the teenage years!
When people are preparing to have a baby, there is an expectation that they will need information, practical skills and support from others going through the same experience. Yet when those children become teenagers—and family life changes all over again—parents are often left to navigate this new stage largely by themselves.
This course aims to change that.
Parents will learn more about the changing teenage mind and body, what to expect during adolescence and why teenagers may think, feel and behave differently during this period. Alongside this understanding, they will explore practical skills and approaches that can help them navigate challenges, maintain communication and strengthen their relationship with their teenager.
This is not a course about becoming a “perfect” parent. Adolescence is messy and relationships are imperfect. Instead, it is about helping parents recognise the power of how they respond and connect, and giving them greater confidence to navigate difficult moments.
The small-group setting is an important part of the course. It offers parents an opportunity to talk honestly with others experiencing the same stage of family life, learn from one another and build supportive relationships. In a world where both parents and teenagers can increasingly feel busy, disconnected and isolated, the course aims to create something that can sometimes be missing: genuine community.
The hope is that these connections will continue beyond the course, with parents forming friendships and support networks of their own.
Who is the course aimed at?
The course is for parents and carers of children in Year 5 and above, who are approaching or already navigating the teenage years.
It is for those who may be wondering what is “normal” during adolescence, who feel unsure about how best to respond to changes in their teenager, or who simply want to understand this stage of development better and feel more prepared for it.
Importantly, the course is not only for families who are experiencing serious difficulties. Its focus is earlier and preventative. It is designed for the everyday reality of parenting teenagers—including the uncertainty, changing relationships, difficult conversations and moments when parents simply do not know what to do.
It may also be particularly valuable for parents who feel isolated or find themselves quietly wondering whether everyone else is coping better than they are.
The course offers a place to learn, reflect and connect with other parents who understand what this stage can be like. Ultimately, it is for parents who want to feel less alone, more confident in themselves and better equipped to support their teenager through one of the most significant periods of change in their lives.