APR 19 26: Evolving Inner Parent 2
This workshop, “Evolving Inner Parent 2,” presented by Robert from the Call2Parent ACA community, focuses on resolving swallowed historical teen anger, rage, and defiance through the development of a “tough-loving parent.” Building on a previous workshop that addressed silencing the abusive inner critic, this session explores how to engage the inner teenager using a firm yet loving authoritative voice—distinct from the purely loving parent approach outlined in traditional ACA literature. Robert shares his personal experience of discovering that the loving-only parenting model, while foundational, was insufficient to fully resolve his inner critic’s abuse and his teenager’s persistent anger and pass-through into the outer world. He introduces key concepts including the “Master Boundary” (establishing that the teen lives only in the inner world), the “Master Practice” (co-regulating the teen’s unresolved history), and the importance of becoming trauma-informed. Using clips from a Peloton commercial and the film Good Will Hunting, he illustrates the difference between respectful anger and loving authoritative voices. The workshop culminates in a detailed homework process where participants engage daily with their inner teenager through boundary-setting and calming dialog, ultimately aiming to shift the teen’s gaze inward, resolve historical wounds, and potentially unlock a deep grieving process that leads to authentic transformation and imperfect self-regulation.
Workshop Video
You can scroll along the progress bar at the bottom of the video screen to navigate the chapters – times listed below….
Chapters
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:22:55 – Set The Stage
00:54:11 – The Parenting Process: Love vs. Tough-Love
01:03:12 – Core Issues
01:17:58 – Ancillary Issues
01:23:41 – Dealing With The Teen
01:43:45 – Homework
02:28:19 – Live Q&A
Workshop Audio
30-Day Homework Assignment:
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Homework/Q&A Session Prep Questions
MAY 23 26 Evolving Parent 2: Homework Session
In this intimate Q&A homework session for the Evolving Parent Workshop Series, Robert guides a small group through a review of their assignment focused on setting the “master boundary” with the inner teenager and critic. He explains how the tough loving parent must establish non-negotiable, impenetrable boundaries to stop the critic’s abuse and redirect the teenager’s attention from the outer world back to the inner world, where the parent can co-regulate unresolved trauma. Robert shares his personal journey, including how a panic attack shifted his healing from intellectual understanding to an embodied, trauma-informed approach centered on daily “safe container” meditations. He emphasizes that porous boundaries—where strategies constantly shift between loving, angry, and fawning responses—keep the critic and teenager’s patterns intact. Participants share their experiences, including challenges with subtle defiance, judgmentalism, and difficulty comforting the inner child. Robert stresses the importance of sustainable daily practices over reactive tools, distinguishing between uncovering trauma through the 12 steps and healing it through committed parenting work, while cautioning against fellow travelers acting as therapists and the distraction of constantly seeking new recovery methods.
Workshop Video
You can scroll along the progress bar at the bottom of the video screen to navigate the chapters – times listed below….
Chapters:
00:00:00 – The Essence Of The Assignment
00:04:11 – Experience With The Assignment
00:24:06 – The Parenting Process: Love vs. Tough-Love
Workshop Audio
Transforming Childhood Trauma Into Wholeness 