Moving ahead of the class

"From Fear to Love" –– an eight-session parenting course available at Northwest Technical School, with Ken Thom as facilitator –– is designed for families searching for peace in their homes.

"Unless parents are significantly involved, what I do as a therapist is often times minimal and ineffective," Thom said. "The cost of family therapy is very expensive, but this class is one way I can reach more people and is more cost effective at the same time."

Classes will begin at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 12, and will run for four consecutive weeks. Classes will also be available starting Monday, Feb. 9, and Monday, March 23, if parents are unable to take advantage of Module I.

Cost for classes is $10 per person and $15 per couple for each session. To register  call Lori Tally, Adult/Community Education Coordinator at Northwest Technical School at (660) 562-4181. Registration can also be faxed to (660) 562-2010 or e-mailed to Tally at ltally@maryville.k12.mo.us.

Thom is offering continuing education credit for anyone taking the class. Counselors, social workers, any career to which the class would apply may take advantage of this offer.
As a resource for the classes, participants will be encouraged to read "Beyond Consequences, Logic and Control," which is a loved-based approach to helping children with severe behaviors. The book and the classes help parents handle behaviors such as lying, stealing, aggression, defiance, hoarding and gorging, and more.

"I have shelves of books I've read over the years about kids and their behavior," Thom said. "All the books say try this or try this and in the end nothing works. One thing may work for awhile, but you have to try A-to-Z and still nothing works consistently. I guarantee if parents read this book and work hard to apply the principles –– make the personal changes they have to make –– the concepts will be effective with any child."

Thom went to intensive training with both authors of the book, Heather T. Forbes, LCSW, and B. Bryan Post, Ph.D., and LCSW. To learn more about the book, check on the Web site at www.BeyondConsequences.com.

Thom said he feels the classes will be even more effective when parents meet together in a group to network, brainstorm and find out what one person does to communicate with their children as opposed to someone else.

"I would say all families are stressed by over-commitment and activities these days," he said. "We've become too activity-oriented and have very limited family time. That's where kids start falling through the cracks. With such a high rate of divorce, blended families and single parents, a strain is placed on the family system as God designed it."

Thom earned his masters degree from Northwest Missouri State University and has taken additional training from a variety of workshops and seminars over the years. He is a licensed counselor and has provided Christ-centered counseling from his home at 515 W. Cooper in Maryville, since 1985.

To contact Thom, call (660) 562-2531 or e-mail him at thomkt@embarqmail.com. To learn more about Thom's counseling and the classes, check out the Web site at kenthomcounseling.com.