Online Parenting Classes & Family Therapy in Goodland, KS

The families at the far western edge of Kansas have always had to reckon with distance—from services, from larger cities, and sometimes from the kind of support that caregivers in more populated areas take for granted. New Connections Mental Health built its practice to close that gap directly. Parenting classes in Goodland, Kansas are offered entirely through virtual sessions, reaching Sherman County families wherever they are without requiring a drive across the high plains to access something that should already be close.


Sherman County sits seventeen miles from the Colorado border, and Goodland anchors it as a community shaped by the railroad, the High Plains, and a particular brand of self-reliance that comes from outlasting every prediction about what a small western Kansas city can sustain. The replica of Van Gogh's "Three Sunflowers" rising above the water tower is an unlikely landmark—a reminder that ambition and beauty are not reserved for larger places. Families spread across Goodland and out toward Colby, Sharon Springs, and Tribune share the wide-horizon sensibility of the high plains, and all of them are within reach of New Connections through virtual sessions available statewide, with in-person appointments at the Hays office at 2810 Plaza Avenue for families making the trip east.


In a community defined by self-reliance, the idea of asking for help with parenting can feel genuinely foreign. Most Goodland families who reach out to New Connections describe sitting with the question for a while before making the call—and then wondering why they waited. Parenting classes in Goodland, Kansas ask nothing of families except their time and their willingness to learn something new. The program is designed for exactly the kind of parent who has been carrying a great deal without much support: capable, committed, and ready for something that finally gives them the language to match what they already feel.


Explore our Online Child Parent Relationship Training

The Child-Parent Relationship Training is a 10-week guided program to help you turn daily meltdowns into moments of connection through play, co-regulation, and relationship-based tools, without yelling, power struggles, or feeling like you’re failing as a parent.

Child-Parent Relationship Training (CPRT) materials with a laptop video and stacked handouts

How it works

The CPRTprogram is a framework built around connection, not correction

 

 

A framework built on understanding behavior, not controlling it CPRT starts from one principle that holds true regardless of where a family lives: a child's behavior is a message. Defiance, withdrawal, escalation, clinginess—these are all forms of communication from a child who does not yet have the language to say what they mean. Learning to receive those messages changes the relationship in ways that Goodland families describe as both immediate and lasting.


Explore the right type of coaching for your family

 

 

A phone call is all it takes Families in Goodland and across Sherman County can call New Connections and speak with Michelle Holdeman directly. The first conversation is focused entirely on understanding the family's situation and finding the right fit—no forms, no intake portal, just a real conversation with someone who can help figure out what makes sense.


Skills that stay with families long after the program ends

 

 

A program that works with the rhythms of western Kansas life Agricultural schedules, long commutes, and the particular demands of life at the edge of the state are all things the CPRT format is built to accommodate. One skill per week, one short practice session at home—a structure designed to produce real change without requiring families to restructure everything else in their lives to participate.


Explore our services and specializations

Child parent relationship training CPRT is particularly well suited to families in communities like Goodland, where services are limited but the quality of family life matters as much as it does anywhere in the state. The program is fully virtual, requires no travel, and produces the kind of results—stronger relationships, clearer communication, children who feel genuinely understood—that families in every corner of Kansas deserve access to.

Therapy for teens Growing up in a small community at the western edge of the state means that the world can feel very large and very far away at the same time. Teenagers in Goodland are navigating that specific tension alongside every other challenge of adolescence—identity, belonging, the future. Virtual teen therapy at New Connections gives those young people a private, skilled space to work through what they are carrying, without requiring a drive to a larger city.

Therapy for family In a small, geographically isolated community, families often have fewer outside resources to draw on when things get hard. That isolation can make family tension feel more stuck than it actually is—not because the problems are worse, but because the options seem fewer. Family therapy at New Connections reaches Goodland families through virtual sessions and gives them something they might not have expected to find this close to home: real help.

We serve clients in Goodland and nearby areas

New Connections Mental Health serves families throughout Goodland, Sherman County, and the far western Kansas region near the Colorado border. Virtual parenting classes and an online parenting course reach clients in Colby, Ruleton, Kanorado, St. Francis, and the surrounding high plains communities without requiring a long drive. In-person appointments are available at the Hays office at 2810 Plaza Avenue for families making the trip east.

Testimonials

“I’m very grateful for your wisdom! You are so gifted at your profession!”

“Thank you so much for helping me with my child. You have no idea how much we appreciate it and how much you mean to the both of us!”

“I hope you know how much you mean to us. You are incredibly talented and came into our lives at the exact right time. Thank you for supporting and loving us. Your work has made a world of difference in our trajectory and healing. We love you very very much!”

Hi, I'm Michelle Holdeman, founder of New Connections Mental Health group practice
I built New Connections Mental Health with Goodland families in mind as much as anyone—because the families who are farthest from services are often the ones who have been carrying the most the longest. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with specialized training in CPRT and family therapy, I offer fully virtual sessions that reach Sherman County families wherever they are, with no drive required and no compromise on the quality of the work. In-person appointments are available at my Hays office for families making the trip east.


Smiling person sitting on a log in a grassy park, wearing a tan jacket and jeans, with decorative star stickers around the photo

Frequently asked questions

  • How is CPRT different from any other parenting curriculum?

    • CPRT uses the language of children's play to build connection and understanding between parent and child.
    • It introduces one new concept weekly, practiced in short sessions, making it easier to retain and implement.
    • Best of all, CPRT is recognized by SAMHSA as an Evidence-Based Treatment, proving its effectiveness.

  • What is expected from the parent:

    • CPRT focuses on gradual learning, introducing one practical skill at a time so parents can apply and retain new strategies effectively.
    • Rather than overwhelming you with too much theory, CPRT is structured to be clear, doable, and supportive for busy families.
    • Each week builds on the last, helping you strengthen your bond, improve communication, and reduce conflict with your child in a manageable way.
    • CPRT has been validated by SAMHSA as an Evidence-Based Treatment, setting it apart from standard parenting guides.

  • Will my insurance cover the cost of CPRT?

    Group CPRT classes are not eligible for insurance billing. However, if you're attending individual sessions, we can provide a superbill. This document can be submitted to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement, depending on your plan's coverage.