Reparenting

Reparenting is a form of psychotherapy in which the therapist actively assumes the role of a new or surrogate parental figure for the client, in order to treat psychological disturbances caused by defective, even abusive, parenting. The underlying assumption is that all mental illness results principally from such parenting, even including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Despite the therapy's association with the theory and practice of transactional analysis in the field of psychology, there is not much empirical evidence for its effectiveness, and some significant suggestions that it can in fact be harmful; most mental health practitioners do not regard reparenting as a legitimate form of therapy.

In 1982 reparenting was reported to be still available to the public, with many therapists and supporters of its legitimacy.

In the late 1960s, Jaqui Lee Schiff developed a form of therapy based on transactional analysis theory. She would dub this form of therapy as total regression reparenting, the very first form of reparenting. Schiff and her followers claimed success with curing clients using reparenting, which resulted in the expansion of its practice. The promising findings of reparenting by Schiff led other therapists to develop their own application and forms of reparenting. The other most notable forms of reparenting that later came include time-limited, spot, and self-reparenting. Some people consider reparenting to be one of the many forms of New Age psychotherapy.

Deriving itself from transactional analysis theory, reparenting seeks to treat problems associated with defective parenting. The theory of reparenting states that psychological problems due to defective parenting can be overcome by reforming the parent ego state of the client. This achieved by regressing the client to a state of mind that is vulnerable to new experiences, the child ego state. Once the client is in the child ego state, the therapist traditionally adopts the role as the client’s new parent and attempts to correctly reparent the client. The nature of reparenting by the therapist should be more positive and influence the client into adopting a healthier parent ego state, which ultimately negates the psychological problems the client may have experienced before reparenting therapy.

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