🧸 Child–Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
🌿 Healing Together Through Connection
When young children experience stress, trauma, or major life changes, the effects are often felt within the parent–child relationship. Child–Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is a relationship-based treatment designed to help parents and caregivers strengthen their bond with their child while addressing the impact of trauma, loss, or attachment disruptions.
At Mara’s Lighthouse, we believe that healing happens in the context of secure relationships. CPP helps children and their caregivers make sense of difficult experiences together — restoring trust, safety, and emotional balance for the whole family.
💙 What Is CPP?
Child–Parent Psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment model for children ages 0–5 who have experienced trauma — such as exposure to violence, abuse, neglect, loss, or separation — or who are showing behavioral, emotional, or attachment difficulties.
The therapy focuses on the relationship between child and caregiver, supporting both in making sense of the child’s experiences and emotions. The therapist works alongside the caregiver to:
Understand how trauma has affected the child and family.
Strengthen the parent–child relationship as a source of safety and comfort.
Support the caregiver’s confidence and capacity to respond sensitively to their child’s needs.
Promote healing and healthy development through play, reflection, and shared understanding.
👶 Who Can Benefit From CPP
CPP can be especially helpful for families experiencing:
The effects of trauma, loss, or separation.
Family violence, abuse, or neglect.
Foster care, adoption, or disrupted attachments.
Parental stress, mental health concerns, or substance use.
Adjustment challenges related to medical issues, moves, or other major transitions.
Even very young children can show signs of emotional distress — such as withdrawal, regression, sleep disturbances, or aggression. CPP helps children and caregivers understand and manage these behaviors through connection rather than correction.
🧩 How CPP Works
CPP sessions typically include both the child and caregiver together, creating a space where the relationship itself becomes the focus of healing.
Therapy may include:
Play-based activities that help children express emotions and make sense of experiences.
Reflective conversations that help caregivers understand their child’s perspective and their own emotional responses.
Narrative building, where families can safely re-tell and reframe difficult experiences together.
Support for caregivers, helping them manage stress, guilt, or triggers that arise during the process.
CPP is a structured yet flexible model — typically lasting one year or longer, depending on each family’s unique needs.
⚖️ CPP and Early Childhood Court: Supporting Family Reunification
At Mara’s Lighthouse, our clinicians also provide CPP within Early Childhood Court programs to help families heal, reunify, and rebuild trust after child welfare involvement.
This collaborative approach brings together caregivers, case managers, attorneys, and early intervention professionals to ensure children and parents receive comprehensive, trauma-informed support. Through CPP, caregivers learn to understand and respond to their child’s needs, while children begin to feel safe and connected again within their family system.
Our goal is to strengthen relationships, support reunification, and create a foundation for lifelong resilience.
💫 The Goals of CPP
Through CPP, families work toward:
Strengthening the parent–child bond.
Reducing the child’s emotional and behavioral symptoms.
Building trust and a sense of safety.
Helping caregivers feel more confident and supported.
Promoting healthy social and emotional development for the child.
🤝 Our Approach at Mara’s Lighthouse
Our CPP-trained therapists approach each family with compassion, cultural humility, and deep respect for your story. We recognize that parents and caregivers are the most important resource in a child’s life — and our role is to help you feel empowered and supported in that role.
We also collaborate closely with your broader support system — such as pediatricians, early childhood programs, case managers, and other professionals — to ensure your child’s care is consistent and well-coordinated.
💖 Rebuilding Safety, Trust, and Connection — Together
Child–Parent Psychotherapy isn’t just about addressing problems — it’s about rebuilding hope. It gives families the space to reconnect, understand, and grow stronger together after hardship.
If your child has experienced stress, trauma, or emotional challenges, our team can help you navigate this healing journey with care and compassion.
Click below to schedule a consultation or learn more about CPP at Mara’s Lighthouse.