Good Enough Parenting combines insights from the Scriptures, credible research, and the Louis’ experiences as counsellors and parents, with the wisdom of eight elders and their families to provide an inspirational, thorough, practical and well-reasoned guide for parents. This book introduces the Four Plus One Core Emotional Needs and explains why meeting them is absolutely crucial for raising emotionally healthy and spiritually minded children. Readers will also learn how to avoid “Exasperation Interactions” and the “Vortex of Conflict Escalation”, as well as how to “Repair and Reconnect” with teenagers and adult children.

Research has shown that when core emotional needs are not met during the formative years of a child, “Lifetraps” (schemas) will develop. These core emotional needs are:

 Connection & Acceptance
Healthy Autonomy & Performance
Reasonable Limits
Realistic Expectations
and the “Plus-One” need for
Spiritual Values & Community

While no one’s parenting can ever be perfect, “Good Enough Parenting” offers a step-by-step guide on how parents can learn to meet these core emotional needs, and provide parenting that is “good-enough” to prevent Lifetraps from developing in their children. “Good Enough Parenting”, a Christian parenting series, was developed by John and Karen Louis and is based on Schema Therapy founded by Dr. Jeffrey Young.

 “In a world of too much information, ‘Good Enough Parenting’ uses movies to teach parents how to MEET CORE EMOTIONAL NEEDS, and, at the same time, how to avoid passing down their own dysfunctional behaviors. Schema Therapy has been successful with adults, but I have always wanted to see someone do something on preventing schemas, or Lifetraps, in children, and here it is!”

~ Dr Jeffrey Young, 
Dept of Psychiatry, Columbia University, USA

Founder, Schema Therapy