'Disruptive behaviour disorders’ are the most common reason for referral to CAMHS (Puckering, 2009). Current treatment guidelines focus on parent training programmes (NICE, 2006; CYP IAPT, 2012). Difficulties are often reported when engaging families, with parental attributions and attitudes towards help-seeking proposed as influential factors (Morrissey-Kane & Prinz, 1999; Kane et al., 2007). Previous research has tended to privilege pre-existing frameworks; this study utilised qualitative methods to add to the current understanding of the ways in which parents make sense of their children’s behaviour. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six mothers, recruited through CAMHS. IPA revealed four master themes: ‘Looking for an answer’, ‘The emotional experience of being a parent’, ‘Trying to get help’ and ‘…a long, long road…’ Participants used a variety of frameworks in order to make sense of their children’s behaviour, including the impact of loss and trauma. Help-seeking was associated with feelings of shame and services were often viewed as inconsistent and stigmatising. In contrast, positive experiences were those which were characterised as being non-judgemental, normalising and took into account the wider family context, including mothers’ own emotional needs. These findings were discussed in relation to existing research and implications for clinical practice.