Circle of Security Parenting Groups in Chicago
At NK Psychological Services, we offer Circle of Security Parenting® (COS-P), an 8-week group program that helps parents understand their children's emotional needs and strengthen secure attachment relationships. Based on decades of attachment research, this evidence-based program integrates naturally with our psychodynamic framework, recognizing that the parent-child relationship shapes psychological development across the lifespan. Rather than teaching behavioral techniques alone, COS-P helps parents understand the deeper meaning of their children's behaviors and their own emotional responses.
Understanding Circle of Security Parenting
Circle of Security Parenting draws from attachment theory to help parents become more attuned to their children's needs. The program uses a simple, visual roadmap that shows how children move between exploration and comfort-seeking, and how parents can support both needs. This framework helps parents recognize that all behavior has meaning - when children act out or withdraw, they're communicating needs they can't yet articulate.
The program addresses a fundamental truth: children need their parents to be a secure base from which to explore and a safe haven to return to for comfort. Through video examples, reflective discussions, and guided exercises, parents learn to recognize their children's miscues and hidden needs, understanding that difficult behaviors often mask deeper attachment needs.
The 8-Week Journey
Our Circle of Security groups meet weekly for 90-minute sessions, creating a supportive community where parents can explore their parenting experiences without judgment. The curriculum unfolds progressively:
Weeks 1-2: Understanding your child's attachment needs and the Circle of Security roadmap
Weeks 3-4: Recognizing and being with your child's emotions
Weeks 5-6: Understanding how your own history influences your parenting
Weeks 7-8: Recognizing rupture and repair in relationships
Each session combines educational content with reflection and discussion. Parents watch video examples of parent-child interactions, helping them recognize universal patterns while considering how these dynamics play out in their own families. The group format allows parents to learn from each other's experiences while realizing they're not alone in their struggles.
Being With All Feelings
A core principle of Circle of Security is helping parents become comfortable with the full range of their children's emotions. Many parents find certain feelings easier to tolerate than others - perhaps comfort with anger but not vulnerability, or ease with sadness but not defiance. COS-P helps parents recognize these patterns and understand how their own "shark music" - the anxiety triggered by their own attachment history - can interfere with responding to their children's needs.
The program doesn't aim for perfect parenting but rather "good enough" parenting that includes rupture and repair. Parents learn that breaking connection is inevitable; what matters is the commitment to repair and restore the relationship.
Integration with Our Psychodynamic Approach
Circle of Security aligns beautifully with our practice's psychodynamic orientation. The program recognizes that parenting behaviors are influenced by unconscious processes, attachment histories, and intergenerational patterns. By helping parents understand their own attachment experiences, COS-P creates opportunities for breaking cycles and creating healthier family dynamics.
The group process itself becomes therapeutic, as parents recognize their shared struggles and support each other's growth. The facilitator maintains a stance of compassionate curiosity, helping parents explore difficult feelings without judgment while maintaining appropriate boundaries and structure.
Who Benefits from Circle of Security
Circle of Security groups serve parents across the spectrum of experiences:
Parents of young children (birth through elementary age) seeking to strengthen attachment
Parents noticing behavioral challenges and wanting to understand the underlying needs
Parents recognizing that their own childhood experiences affect their parenting
Parents navigating separation, divorce, or family transitions
Adoptive and foster parents building attachment with their children
Parents simply wanting to deepen their understanding of their children's emotional world
The program is particularly valuable for parents already engaged in therapy at our practice, as it complements individual or family work with structured attachment-focused learning.
Group Structure and Support
Groups are limited to 12 participants to ensure adequate support and discussion time. While designed as a psychoeducational program rather than group therapy, the experience often feels deeply therapeutic as parents gain insights into their parenting patterns and their children's needs.
Our facilitators have completed specialized Circle of Security training and bring additional expertise in attachment theory, child development, and psychodynamic understanding. They create a safe, supportive environment where parents can be vulnerable about their struggles while building confidence in their parenting capacity.
Beyond the 8 Weeks
Completing the Circle of Security program provides parents with a framework they can use throughout their children's development. The visual metaphor of the Circle remains relevant from infancy through adolescence, helping parents recognize how attachment needs manifest at different developmental stages.
Many parents find that COS-P insights enhance their other work at our practice, whether in parent guidance, family therapy, or their own individual therapy. The program often helps parents recognize patterns they want to explore more deeply in ongoing therapeutic work.
Beginning Your Circle of Security Journey
We offer Circle of Security groups throughout the year, with new cohorts beginning each season. Groups meet at our Chicago location, creating in-person connections that enhance the learning experience. The program represents an investment in your family's long-term wellbeing, providing tools and understanding that will serve you throughout your parenting journey.
To learn more about upcoming Circle of Security groups or to register, contact NK Psychological Services. We'll discuss the program in detail and help you determine whether this approach aligns with your family's needs. Join other parents in discovering how understanding attachment can transform your relationship with your child.