Family Skills

Mercy Center offers classes to support individuals seeking healthy family interactions.

• “Active Parenting Today” (in English and Spanish) is an evidence-based, 8-week course designed to increase parents’ understanding of their children’s behavior, help parents learn to develop their children’s self-esteem and improve communication and discipline.
• Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors (in Spanish) is a 10-session parenting and leadership class for parents with children ages 0-5. Designed by and for Latino parents, it promotes practices that foster children’s learning and early development, parental leadership, and advocacy skills.
• Anger Management (in Spanish) is a 10-week course designed for women and men to address their own trauma and related symptoms that can be aggravated by poverty, estrangement, isolation, and limited language skills. Students examine Latin cultural ideas and attitudes that influence family relationships, learn how to connect to the culture of their new home, and practice productive methods of communication with their partners, children, and colleagues.

Participants’ Quotes

“From this course I want to remember that my son looks up to me and even at the Boss stage I have to accept and respect his feelings.”

“Something I got out of this was that kids don’t do things to get you mad, which was what I used to think. They act and behave that way due to Ages and Stages.”

“My experience in this course has rebirthed me into motherhood. In the end it’s the choice that I make every day to put his needs, happiness, and well being ahead of my own.”

“I knew it is important to encourage your child; I just didn’t know how much. It made me think back when I wanted that myself.”