What is Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)?
Today we have a guest post from one of our earliest therapist members of RightFit, Robbi Anne Strauss. Here she talks about TBRI and how she uses it in her own practice. It’s a great read and we’re excited to have Robbi Anne share! Thank you Robbi Anne!
TBRI Overview; Why I Love What I Do
Working with parents is not just about the clinical work of being in the therapy room, it is work that I am deeply passionate about. It fires me up! It makes going to work (or logging in…?) and showing up every day worth it, and I cannot emphasize that enough.
In this blog, I am going to be focusing on a large piece of the work done at Atlanta Parenting Therapy: Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI).
We talk a lot about connection, correction, and empowerment. As I work with parents, I find myself consistently circling around these three values. From navigating tantrums to fostering independence, or healing past traumas and strengthening the bond you have with your little one, these three values are deeply impactful in your parenting journey. When I work with parents in a therapy setting, we talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of how they have been approaching the not-so-pretty parenting moments. We hold space for the sometimes triggering responses that our little ones can bring out of us, and we build skills and confidence around raising little humans to be compassionate, secure, and strong individuals.
I want to highlight one of the places from which I draw my perspectives, insights, and framework. TBRI is a parenting and therapy approach that focuses on meeting the needs of children, particularly those who are vulnerable. Now already you may be thinking “so who are the vulnerable children? That does not apply to my kids”. In a nut shell, these are children who have experienced challenging things, come from challenging places, or have unique emotional or behavioral challenges. Common word in that previous sentence: challenge.
But TBRI is far more effective than just being for parents who consciously identify their child as being a vulnerable individual or “at-risk” child. The very principles, ideas, and concepts that are encompassed in this way of parenting are based on empowerment, connection, and correction, something that most “typical” parenting relationships strive to provide. TBRI is powerful, and the impact of its work is undeniable. All that to say, the work required from you the parent is hard. It ventures to pull us away from our natural tendency to raise our voice, over-correct, or look at behaviors as either “good” or “bad”. It is an intentional parenting model that causes you to slow down, get curious, dig into the hard moments, and parent from a place of connection.
This is the work that FIRES. ME. UP.
Check out my website today to talk more about your parenting journey and how the services offered at Atlanta Parenting Therapy can come along side you and your family to enhance, strengthen, and empower your parenting journey. I can’t wait to talk more.