Ren provides a range of resources to support your parenting journey. Here’s what you can expect:  
As parents, we want what’s best for our little ones. But sometimes it’s hard to figure out what that looks like. That’s where Ren comes in. Ren aims to offer trustworthy and easy-to-understand parenting guidance, backed by gold standard research. Our mission is to empower parents with knowledge and tools to help their children develop a secure attachment style, positive self-esteem, and healthy emotional and social wellbeing.

Raising children really does take a village. But these days, our villages are filled with online strangers…and all their opinions. Ren is designed to be a trusted and reliable resource, providing clarity amongst all the confusion.

While physical development shapes our bodies and abilities, and cognitive development sharpens our thinking and practical skills, social and emotional development forms the foundation of our lifelong mental health. It includes our ability to express, recognize, and regulate our emotions which, in turn, inform our capacity to create and sustain healthy relationships.

After many years working as a psychologist, our founder realized something important. Parents were craving reliable information to help them navigate the ups and downs of raising young children. They wanted practical guidance without needing to dig through textbooks, or endlessly search the internet. That’s when we knew we had to create something different.

Ren offers access to parenting experts. No more second-guessing or feeling overwhelmed!

By helping parents understand their child’s emotions and behaviors, as well as knowing how to respond effectively, we aim to safeguard children’s mental health. For life.

Ren was founded by Dr. Jo Dennison, an Australian-registered psychologist. She recognized the impact of early childhood experiences and parenting styles on long-term mental health, but through her training in various evidence-based parenting frameworks, also saw that the research available to professionals wasn’t reaching parents. And so, Ren was born.

At Ren, we embrace the belief that there is no such thing as perfect parenting. We understand that every parenting journey is unique, just like each child. However, research shows that parenting approaches have a lifelong impact on a child’s social and relationship skills, mental health, and even intellectual abilities. That’s why we’re dedicated to providing guidance based on reputable research into social and emotional wellbeing, and the profound influence parenting has. When we say Ren offers ‘evidence-based’ recommendations and support, that’s what we mean.

Ren is designed to help people on their parenting journey – be they mothers, fathers, stepparents, adoptive parents, legal guardians, foster parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, godparents, healthcare professionals, educators, nannies… Anyone who is invested in a child’s wellbeing and development, really!

Mental health is important for our quality of life. But as caregivers, it also has a significant impact on how we interact with our children. Research suggests that our own mental health influences the overall wellbeing of our children, as they experience and respond to us.

Our name is a nod to Renenutet, an ancient Egyptian goddess of nourishment and protector of children and their families. The word ‘ren’ is also associated with humanity, goodness and love in the ancient Chinese belief system, Confucianism.

Today, it continues to hold meaning across the globe. In both Mandarin and Cantonese, Ren translates as ‘person’, while in Ireland, it’s known as a gender-neutral name meaning ‘small and strong’.

The universal themes of nature and nurture embodied by the name Ren make it a fitting and meaningful choice for a product that aims to support families. Just as ancient Egyptians believed that children were blessed with the presence of Renenutet from birth, we aspire for Ren to be a guiding resource for children and parents right from day one.

Ren provides a range of resources to support your parenting journey. Here’s what you can expect:  
Ren offers evidence-based parenting guidance, delivered via live courses, seminars, and individual appointments.

We provide parents with guidance in relation to a wide range of topics. These range from everyday parenting topics such as attachment, spontaneity and play, stranger danger, realistic limits, transitioning to childcare, navigating anger and frustration, sibling rivalry, and weighing up screen time, to behavioral challenges and psychological concerns, as well as parental mental health and relationships.

Whilst Ren’s parenting experts are trained in various evidence-based parenting approaches, they primarily advocate for attachment-focused, emotion-focussed, and co-regulation approaches to parenting.

Ren believes behavioral principles have their place. We’re conscious of the research that suggests certain behavioral-focussed parenting approaches can lead to changes in behavior that can make life somewhat easier for caregivers. That being said, we’re also mindful of the abundance of research that suggests these approaches don’t always support healthy attachment and emotional wellbeing of children. We believe behavioral approaches should only be used when they don’t come at the potential expense of a child developing and maintaining a secure attachment style, positive self-esteem and healthy emotion self-regulation skills.

While the team at Ren consists of professionals with psychology qualifications and extensive experience, we do not conduct assessments or offer diagnoses, nor do we provide any form of treatment or therapy. Our primary focus is on offering evidence-based information and coaching, in relation to parenting, and social and emotional wellbeing and development.

Ren does not provide prescriptions for medication, nor medication management/advice. If you or your child need medication or advice regarding medication, please consult with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

At Ren, our mission is to enhance lifelong mental health in children and their families. Our initial focus is on children aged 0-5. This is because the first five years of life are the most impactful on brain development. During this time, our brains lay the foundations for our emotional wellbeing, mental health, and our ability to form and sustain relationships. By prioritizing children’s early years, we hope to safeguard their future.In the future, we plan to expand Ren’s services to support parents of older children too. Stay tuned!

We strongly recommend you consult an appropriately qualified healthcare professional, who will assess you or your child. Ren is unable to provide this service.

If you think you have a medical or mental health emergency (ie. you think you or someone else may be at risk of harm, or harm has already been caused), please call emergency services without delay.

USA & Canada: 911
UK & Ireland: 999
Australia: 000
New Zealand: 111

If you need mental health support, 24/7 telephone support is available via the following services: 
Lifeline (USA): 988
Talk Suicide (Canada): 1 833 456 4566
Lifeline (Australia): 13 11 14
Lifeline (NZ): 0800 543 354
Samaritans (UK & Ireland): 116 123

While our parenting experts bring a wealth of experience and qualifications in fields like psychology, family therapy and social work, national and state laws dictate that they are unable to practice under their licenses while in their role at Ren. This means that under no circumstances will they offer or provide any type of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.

What they do provide to our community of parents and caregivers, though, is coaching, evidence-based guidance, and support.

Ren's parenting experts aim to provide answers and advice on all things related to your child’s social, emotional and behavioral development. Whether you’re wondering why your little one has suddenly decided their sibling is their enemy or how to handle tantrums, our experts are here to help. They’ll provide practical insights, offer strategies that work, and help you understand how your actions can shape your child’s overall wellbeing.

Absolutely. At Ren, your privacy and confidentiality are of utmost importance to us.
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We should flag, though, that if we believe there is a concern for the safety and wellbeing of either yourself or others, we may be required to disclose relevant information that could prevent that harm from happening.

While we don’t offer the option to choose a specific parenting expert, the entire team of experts is trained to support people from all walks of life, including the LGBTQIA community, economically disadvantaged individuals, and diverse racial and ethnic groups. We’re committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity, and our team consists of people from various cultural, gender, and ethnic backgrounds.

If you think you have a medical or mental health emergency (ie. you think you or someone else may be at risk of harm, or harm has already been caused), please call emergency services without delay.

Please note that Ren doesn’t provide mental health or crisis support. If you need mental health support, 24/7 telephone support is available via the following services: