Incredible Years

Domain V · Systemic, relational, group & community · Carolyn Webster-Stratton · University of Washington, USA

What it is

Programs 1–2 always come before Programs 3–4. Programs 1–2 (play through incentives) usually take about nine sessions.

Format

• Format. Weekly 2-hour groups (some sources say 2–2.5 h) of about 8–12 parents (Foundations: up to 12 families), led by two trained co-leaders. Childcare on site is ideal.
• Content time. The workshop manual says to aim for 8–10 vignettes per session, with roughly 60% discussion and support, 25% video and 15% teaching.

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Program 1: Strengthening children's social skills, emotional regulation and school-readiness skills. Child-directed play. Descriptive commenting and academic and persistence coaching. Social and emotion coaching. Social coaching may need up to three sessions.
• Training. Three-day in-person workshop (some routes run 5 days), or online training of five or six 3-hour sessions. The IY Clearinghouse summary says training is required for certification. ADVANCE needs separate training (Foundations: about 16 h).
• Materials. Licensed purchase. They include the leader manual (800+ pages), video vignettes, the Parenting Pyramid poster, Wally's Detective books, the parent book (Troubleshooting Guide, 3rd edn) and the leader book (Collaborating with Parents to Reduce Children's Behavior Problems). Foundations lists 'no licensing requirement' beyond these, but the materials and the IY name are controlled by Incredible Years, Inc.

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Does it use a device, heat, cold, water or a physical procedure? Has a medical professional checked that it is safe for you?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• One parent dominating. Rotate who reports back.
• Listeners jumping to advice. The observer flags it.
• Praise reserved only for finishing. Coach the process.
• 'You always/never' statements, and bringing up the past.
• Over-prompting. Let natural opportunities arise and coach lightly.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.