Self-compassion workshop pilot for first year students who are also parents

Our goal is to develop online content for the UW First Year Programs website that shares information about self-compassionate parenting in the transition to college. Content will be focused on parenting skills supportive of self-compassionate responses to challenges, grounded in the three core components of self-compassion: mindfulness, connection to a common humanity, and self-kindness. Specifically, we seek to address the following two aims:

Aim 1. Material development. In partnership with University of Washington students and parents, we will develop a single session group behavioral intervention for parents of entering undergraduate students that addresses parenting behaviors supportive of student self-compassion in the transition to college.

Aim 2. Pilot evaluation. Conduct a pilot effectiveness-implementation evaluation of the materials. Mixed methods data collection will be employed, with all parents completing pre- and post-session surveys, and a subset of parents participating in qualitative interviews about their experience. Data will inform subsequent adaptations and broader dissemination and evaluation. We will use this data to determine whether adaptation to different formats (e.g., online delivery for parents unable to attend the in-person Parent Orientation) is appropriate.