What Happens When Children Are Struggling?
When a child is struggling with emotional distress, caregivers may not know how to respond. They want to be caring and supportive, but they might worry about making things worse. If the child has problems related to a mental health condition like depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, substance use disorder, or self-injury, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and scared.
Children respond to stress both in the home and the outside environment. They may respond to this stress directly or indirectly, and they may not always want to talk about it. Parents sometimes need support and guidance in their own parenting strategies. They may need tools for setting boundaries or communicating with their children. Likewise, parents may benefit from exploring the beliefs they learned while growing up, as they often unknowingly pass on these same beliefs to their children. By identifying unproductive belief systems and attachment patterns, parents can support their children in healthier growth.
What Is Parenting Support Therapy?
Parenting support therapy entails identifying constructive strategies to support a struggling family member. It may include addressing problems like caregiver fatigue, poor boundaries, and behavior modification. It may also include emotion-focused interventions to facilitate stronger and healthier connection or attachment. In this therapy, parents learn how to understand their children, and they learn how to be a source of healthy support for them. In doing so, communication patterns improve resulting to more positive interactions.
How I Can Help You Help Your Children
We all know that parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world. You care immensely about your children, and you want what is best for them. Together, we can strengthen your role as a parent. We can work on how you relate to your children, how you offer them support, and how you also take care of yourself at the same time. We can also review interventions to contain your child’s potentially destructive behaviors while maintaining a connection. We utilize the strengths you already possess and build upon these with various strategies.