We are currently closed for referrals for Mind the Dad. If you have any questions please email mindthedad@annafreud.org
- An overview
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An overview
As a dad with a child aged 0-2, whether you’re a new dad and transitioning to fatherhood, or whether you’ve done this before and have other children, it can be both an exciting and a difficult period. Looking after your baby whilst managing different responsibilities can be stressful and overwhelming. So it is not surprising that 1 in 10 dads struggle with their mental health during this period.
We recognise that dads are often excluded from services and support and provide a service called “Mind the Dad,” which focuses on dads who feel they could benefit from mental health and parenting support during the first two years of their baby’s life. Free, online support is provided to dads either individually, with your baby or in virtual groups with other fathers, where you can meet other dads in similar situations, at flexible hours (including evenings).
This service is provided for dads from the boroughs: Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton, Wandsworth and Croydon. If you are a dad living in one of these areas, with a child aged 0-2 with a partner who is under the care of the perinatal mental health services and would like to access Mind the Dad, or if you are a professional referring a father, please use this form here.
- How it works
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How it works
Mind the Dad provides several methods of support for dads, which include:
- Reflective parenting groups with other dads (8 weeks)
- Video-feedback therapy with your baby (12 weeks)
- Parent infant psychotherapy with your baby and potentially your partner (up to 6 months)
Reflective parenting group
The reflective parenting group is a space for you to meet and talk about what to expect during the first two years of your baby’s life, their emotional development, and how best to manage difficult moments with them. The group aims to help you understand the thoughts, feelings and needs of both yourself and your baby, and in turn this often helps to improve relationships across the family.
Who will be there?
The group is typically made up of 4-6 dads, plus two group facilitators. The facilitators are trained therapists and mental health professionals with experience of working with parents and carers and children aged 0-5. They are there to guide the group.What is the time commitment?
The reflective parenting group consists of 8 weekly group sessions (unless there is a break for the school holidays) that take place at the same time each week and are 2 hours long.Where will it take place?
These groups are being delivered online on Zoom, so you will need a computer with camera to take part.Video-feedback therapy
Video-feedback therapy or Video-feedback Intervention for Positive Parenting (VIPP) is a video-feedback programme to help you better understand your baby’s communications, emotions, and behaviour. A facilitator (trained therapist) will meet with you and your baby online to record you doing everyday tasks together, such as playing with toys or feeding . You will then watch the videos back together to see how your baby reacts, to work out how they may be feeling and what they need in these moments. You will also have the opportunity to learn about your baby’s likes and dislikes and how they communicate these, which can be quite subtle at times.
This programme will help you to pick up on behaviours that you could otherwise might miss in real time, helping you to understand and support your baby more.
Who will be there?
A facilitator (trained therapist), you and your baby.What is the time commitment?
Virtual ViPP is 12 weekly sessions with the filming and feedback sessions separated into different sessions, occurring on alternate weeks. The filming sessions are 30 minutes whilst the feedback sessions are an 1 hour long.Where will it take place?
The support is delivered online on Zoom, so you will need a computer with camera to take part.Parent infant psychotherapy
Parent infant psychotherapy (PIP) enables you to get support for longer, that helps you to understand what is going on for you in your relationship with your baby and how this may be influenced by your previous experiences, your relationships (present and past) and your current situation. A parent infant psychotherapist will meet with you and your baby online or face to face if you are in London, to talk and play together and to connect with your baby, so you can also understand how your baby is feeling and what they are communicating.
This service aims to help you bond with your baby and to relate to them in new and different ways, so that both you and your baby have improved wellbeing and relationship.
Who will be there?
A trained therapist, you and your baby. If you have a partner, they can also join for some or all sessions, if that would be helpful.What is the time commitment?
PIP is delivered at the same time, over weekly sessions for up to 6 months. Each session lasts 1 hour.Where will it take place?
The support is delivered online on Zoom, so you will need a computer with camera to take part. - Who it is for
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Who it is for
Mind the Dad is for dads with children under the age of 2, who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and/or difficulties in the relationship with their baby, such as in forming a father-baby bond.
This service is provided for dads living in the London boroughs: Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton, Wandsworth and Croydon.
- Why does the AFC offer it?
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Why does the AFC offer it?
We always try to evaluate the different types of support we provide to parents, carers and families. Evaluation provides us with useful information about a service, helping us to understand what works well and what can be improved.
To evaluate our services, we routinely collect feedback to help us to understand your overall experience and to what the service’s impact has been on you and your family.
Using questionnaires and interviews, we explore:
- Your mental health and wellbeing
- Your confidence in parenting
- Your experience of the support you received
- Changes in your child’s development
- How you found the support service in terms of what worked for you and what you found more challenging.
Your participation in all evaluation and feedback activities is completely optional and you can still access our support without participating in these activities.
- Meet the team
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Meet the team
- Abi Miranda, Head of Early Years and Prevention
- Skye Blyth-Whitelock, Deputy Head of Early Years and Prevention
To find out more about us, click here
- Get in touch
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Get in touch
We are currently closed for referrals for Mind the Dad. If you have any questions please email mindthedad@annafreud.org
If you would like to talk to us about the service, please get in touch:
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7794 2313 (then dial 1128 for Robyn Hart in the Mind the Dad team)
Email: mindthedad@annafreud.org