Dr. Joan Durrant is a Child-Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba.  Through a collaboration with Save the Children Sweden, she wrote a book for parents that described an approach to discipline that strengthens parent-child relationships.  It helps parents and children learn how to solve problems together, without shouting, hitting or punishment.  Soon after its publication in 2007, many people around the world became interested in this approach. 

With support from Save the Children, Dr. Durrant developed workshops in the approach that were piloted in many countries.  Additional support from Canadian funders (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Grand Challenges Canada,  Prairie Action Foundation, University of Manitoba, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada) enabled her to transform those workshops into a parent program, to develop a facilitator training model, and to establish systems for evaluating and building the sustainability of the program.  For many years, this work has been strongly supported by the Master Trainer team, evaluation team, and administrative team  – all of whom dedicate countless hours to making the program the best it can be.