Circle of Security Parenting (COSP)

Instead of asking, "What’s wrong with my child?", COSP encourages a shift toward asking, "What does my child need?"

COSP introduces a simple visual roadmap (known as 'the Circle') that helps caregivers recognise how their child's behaviour is often a form of communication. It supports parents in offering comfort when their child is distressed, encouragement during exploration, and gentle guidance when needed.

COSP supports caregivers to strengthen their connection with their child by focusing on four key areas:

1. Providing a Secure Base – Learning how to support their child’s independence and exploration by being emotionally available and responsive. 
2. Offering a Safe Haven – Responding with comfort and presence when their child is distressed, helping them feel safe and understood. 
3. Co-Regulating Emotions – Developing the ability to stay calm and connected during challenging moments, helping their child manage strong emotions. 
4. Reflecting on Caregiver Experiences – Exploring how a caregiver’s own upbringing, emotional responses, and patterns influence their parenting approach.

Abbreviated Program:

Wells Psychology offers COSP in an abbreviated format, delivered over four weekly, 2-hour online sessions.

The term ‘abbreviated’ refers only to the program’s timeframe — not to its content or materials.

This 4-week version covers the same core content, video materials, and handouts as the original 8-week COSP program. Nothing is skipped or removed — all key concepts are included.

The shorter format simply delivers the material at a faster pace, with a stronger emphasis on the psychoeducational aspects of attachment, rather than extended time for deep reflection on state-of-mind struggles, which is more typical of the 8-week structure.

To help set accurate expectations and ensure you understand the program’s true purpose and approach, it's important to clarify what COSP is NOT:

1. Not Therapy: COSP is not a replacement for individual, family, or trauma-focused therapy. It is an educational and reflective program designed to support “good enough” parenting by deepening understanding of children’s emotional needs.
2. Not a Quick Fix: COSP does not offer instant behavioural solutions. It supports long-term growth in the caregiver-child relationship through increased insight and connection.
3. Not Judgmental: COSP does not shame or blame parents. It offers gentle, supportive guidance to help caregivers reflect and grow without criticism.
4. Not Rigid: COSP is not a set of parenting rules or a step-by-step manual. It offers a flexible framework that can be adapted to the unique needs and values of each family.
5. Not a Corrective Program: COSP is not about “fixing” parents. It encourages reflection, compassion, and curiosity, supporting caregivers to better understand themselves and their children.

The COSP program helps build stronger caregiver-child relationships by creating secure and supportive environments.

Here’s how COSP can benefit:

1. Improved Communication: COSP helps caregivers recognise, understand, and respond to their child’s underlying emotional needs. The program offers insight into the meaning behind behaviours and supports responses that build trust and strengthen connection.
2. Supportive Discipline and Boundaries: COSP promotes consistent, developmentally appropriate boundaries while maintaining warmth and connection. Caregivers learn to set expectations with empathy, supporting emotional safety and respect.
3. Emotional Regulation Skills: The program supports caregivers to co-regulate during difficult moments, offering calm and presence. These experiences help children learn to manage strong emotions and build emotional resilience.
4. Caregiver Self-Reflection and Insight: COSP encourages caregivers to reflect on their own experiences, emotional responses, and relational patterns. This self-awareness supports growth, healing, and more intentional parenting.
5. Stronger Attachment Relationships: Caregivers learn how to be both a secure base for exploration and a safe haven for comfort. This role supports children to feel safe, confident, and emotionally connected. Attachment styles include:

• Secure Attachment:  Children with secure attachment feel confident that their caregiver will be emotionally available. They use their caregiver as a “secure base” to explore and a “safe haven” to return to when distressed. COSP supports caregivers to provide this kind of relational safety through consistent, reflective, and responsive caregiving.
• Avoidant Attachment: These children may appear independent or emotionally distant. This style often develops when emotional needs are minimised or misunderstood. COSP helps caregivers notice subtle cues for connection and respond in ways that build emotional closeness and trust.
• Anxious (Ambivalent) Attachment: These children may seem clingy or uncertain, often unsure whether their needs will be met. COSP guides caregivers to respond predictably and consistently, reducing anxiety and encouraging connection.
• Disorganised Attachment: Children with disorganised attachment may seek comfort but also appear fearful or confused by the caregiver relationship. COSP supports caregivers to reflect on their own emotional responses and create a more predictable, safe environment that promotes secure attachment.

Please note that deposits are non-refundable if you decide to withdraw from the program. We ask that you carefully review your schedule and commitment before proceeding with registration. 

Group Program Pricing and Details:

• Join our Abbreviated COSP Group program for $450 per person, covering all four sessions. A 50% deposit secures your spot, with the remaining balance due two weeks before the course starts. 

• Partners attending together enjoy a 50% discount on the spouse enrolment, totalling $675 for both.

• Participants who complete all four sessions will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

• With a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), you can receive a rebate of $34.40 per session ($137.60 total), reducing your total out-of-pocket cost to $312.40. To qualify, you will need at least 4 sessions remaining on your plan, which must be obtained prior to the group’s commencement.

• All group sessions are conducted online via Zoom, offering flexibility and convenience. Please ensure you have access to a quiet, private space with a stable internet connection and reliable audio equipment. 

Individual/Couple Sessions:

For more personalised support, please contact our clinic directly for pricing on individual or couple sessions. These can be conducted online or face-to-face for those in Brisbane, QLD.

All sessions are scheduled in AEST/QLD time, so please account for any time differences if booking from interstate. The group will run during the following terms: 

2025 COSP TERM DATES:

Term 4 2025:

• Monday 13th Oct until Monday 10th Nov, 12:30pm-2:30pm.
• Note: No session on Monday 27th Oct.

To book, simply submit your details via the Contact Us page or email us directly, and a team member will be able to assist you with the next available intake.