This paper presents a conceptual framework to understand the Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA) through the perspective of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The Nurtured Heart Approach and the Self-Determination Theory are discussed and the parallels are drawn between the two, to provide a theoretical foundation to NHA and support for its effectiveness, which is otherwise lacking. The NHA, developed to help parents manage the undesirable behaviors of children, does not have a foundation of any particular theory. The approach is backed by anecdotal reports rather than empirical findings. Self-Determination Theory is a broad theory of motivation that proposes that human beings have three basic psychological needs-the need for autonomy, relatedness, and competence. The main techniques of NHA fit well with the elements which support the satisfaction of these basic psychological needs. The paper provides a theoretical framework to NHA by highlighting how it brings about sustainable behavioral change and self-regulation by fulfilling the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs as proposed by SDT.