The first Triple P seminars in the country were held over two weekends in sports centres in Balçova. Dr Taner Guvenir, who is a Consultant Adolescent Psychiatrist and Medical Director at Dokuz Eylül University, and coordinator of the Triple P rollout in Turkey, was overwhelmed by the response.

“We’ve held other events in community centres before and only half the invited parents actually come,” says Dr Guvenir.

“This time, we had more parents than expected, with 140 turning up for one of the seminars. The parents are familiar with the sports centres and they have a great relationship with the gym teachers. Parents felt comfortable talking about parenting with the presenters and with other parents.”

Mothers, fathers and grandparents attended the seminars, with many saying they would like to attend more. Dr Guvenir and his team plan to host more seminars in sports centres around Balçova, and also reach out to isolated communities in the region.

“There is an area in Balçova where families grow flowers in greenhouses. The community living there is quite detached from the district centre. The kids are shuttled to school in the centre everyday by bus but the parents hardly ever leave their village,” says Dr Guvenir.

“We plan to run a Triple P seminar at a popular cafe in the village centre, where parents already spend their time. If we bring the seminars to these central locations, we can make sure as many parents as possible get positive parenting help.”