8 Week Online Circle of Security Programme
Next Group Starts Spring 2026!!
2 spots remaining!!
Early booking is advised as places will be limited.
Spring forward with confidence, new skills and awareness as a parent!
This course is ideal for parents at ANY stage, especially those supporting children with transitions and new beginnings eg returning to work, starting pre-school, primary or secondary school, children experiencing separation anxiety/ big feelings or simply starting a new year with new skills as a parent.
Location: Online via Zoom (These are live training sessions and will not be recorded to respect the privacy of participants)
Dates: Wednesday February 4th,11th, 18th & 25th, March 4th,11th,18th & 25th.
Times: 7.30-9.30pm each night
Cost: €300 per person. Discount available for couples wishing to attend.
Group Size: Maximum 10 participants.
At times all parents feel lost or without a clue about what our child might need from us. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking and needing from you.
The Circle of Security Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened. I have been a registered COS-P group facilitator since 2016 .
Learning Objectives of the Program:
• Understand your child’s emotional world by learning to read and meet their emotional needs
• Support yourself as a parent to understand and regulate your own reactions, triggers and emotions
• Support your child’s ability to successfully manage emotions
• Enhance the development of your child’s self-esteem and resilience
• Honour your innate wisdom and desire for your child to be secure
Circle of Security Group workshops include direct teaching, discussion, reflection and exploration of video materials.
They aim to create safe and empowering spaces to reflect, learn and grow together as parents.
All handouts/ reading materials will be sent to participants in advance of the sessions.
Topics covered include:
- Good enough Parenting
- The Circle of Security as a map/guide to creating security
- Attuning to and understanding needs
- “Being with” our children and organizing their big feelings
- Exploring our strengths and struggles as parents
- Exploring and understanding our own triggers as parents
- Reframing behaviour…
- Rupture and repair in relationships
Here’s how previous participants have described their experiences of Circle of Security:
- “A truly safe space of acceptance and learning, when other parents, just like me, were open and honest to talk about their struggles when raising kids.”
- “The material is relevant to every parent- no matter what age your children are.”
- “I have learned so much from the concept of the Circle of Security and it has been a massive help in my approach to parenting.”
- “I loved every second of the course and from the first night I felt so at ease with yourself and the other participating parents. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone hearing other parents share similar experiences and it was great to be able to be open and honest in a group setting about the challenges we face as parents.”
- “A great course and one I would recommend to ALL parents.”
- “My initial motivation for taking part was feeling at a loss as to how to deal with some of my four year old daughter’s behaviours and big feelings. What I learned has been absolutely invaluable and gave me huge insight into these behaviours and how to respond. The course really has helped me so much.”
Places can be secured with a deposit of €100 payable via Revolut (087 2474043) or Bank Transfer. Please mark all payments clearly with your initials and COS eg “COB-COS”
Outstanding fees must be paid in full before the course commences. Please note deposits are non- refundable but transferable to future courses or 1:1 support.
To book your place email theswallowstrail@gmail.com or WhatsApp 0872474043.
Day time and extra groups may also run if needed to meet any extra demand.
If you would like to be added to a list for a day-time group please let me know.
Circle of Security Groups can also be facilitated (online or in person) for organisations, Family Resource Centres and other support services. Please get in touch to find out more!
Here is some feedback from a recent online COS initiative I facilitated.
“As the Mental Health Lead for the Jordan Thomas Foundation, I felt it was important to offer Circle of Security to our families because so many of them are navigating complex medical and emotional challenges. We wanted to provide parents with a framework that would help them better understand their child’s needs, strengthen emotional connection, and build resilience as a family, and Circle of Security provided exactly that.
Cathy’s facilitation brought the program to life in a deeply thoughtful and compassionate way. She created a safe, reflective space for parents to make sense of their own patterns while staying anchored in the realities of parenting a child with medical or physical challenges. Her ability to hold the group with warmth, clarity, and clinical depth allowed participants to open up, feel seen, and leave with practical tools that extended well beyond the sessions.
The feedback from parents was consistently positive, many shared that the experience changed the way they approach moments of distress, both in themselves and their children. It was a valuable and much-needed addition to our mental health initiatives, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Cathy in future programs.”
Maha Ghazale, Mental Health Lead, Jordan Thomas Foundation
The Swallow's Trail 