The International Parentcentered Network (IPCN) kindly invites you to a webinar series on the topic of parenthood in Europe, from a current and multidisciplinary perspective. For several years now, this network has been organizing intensive learning weeks for students in various European cities, symposia and conferences for professionals, network events, etc. The network aims to exchange and increase knowledge and skills about parenthood for care professionals, education and parents. With these webinars, the network wants to further focus on the resilient and sensitive development of professionals and parents in an accessible way.

Webinar 5 Relational parenthood in addiction recovery

by Ruisniemi Arja, Senior Lecturer social services, PhD of SAMK (Satakunta University of applied sciences)

Weblink: click here

The purpose of the research was to elicit how parents attending family-focused substance abuse treatment construct their parenthood in relation to other people. Relational parenthood of addiction treatment attendees is scrutinised from seven thematic interviews carried out in a community-based inpatient substance abuse treatment unit in Finland. The core analytical concept of the research is relationality. In the analysis five parenthood types emerged from the data: (1) worn-out; (2) coping; (3) ambivalent; (4) changing; and (5) supported. The parenthood types illustrate how parenting changes over time, which is also an important part of social identity change in recovering from addiction. In treatment, it is extremely important to understand the different sides of parenthood and to use the information to strengthen clients’ parenthood.