Counseling specifically for addressing stress related to parenting 

You feel exhausted from the same patterns of arguments and defensiveness from either the kids or teens. If only he or she could listen, work with you or prevent the lid from flipping. The lectures don’t work, the punishments don’t work, and your relationship is fading. Something needs to change now, and kids/teens usually are not motivated to have an overnight wake up call. That change starts with you and your relationship with your children. 

Nothing really prepares you to become a parent. Some of us were lucky enough to have parents that set a good example. But others grew up in homes where the dynamic between child and parent was anything but functional or consistently loving. So it is difficult for us to have a model of what healthy parenting looks like. Every parent knows the struggle can be real and can include:

• How to take care of another small person and meet your own needs (sleep deprivation)
• Handling meltdowns or tantrums
• Sibling rivalry and fights
• Attention & concentration concerns
• Defiant behavior or withdrawing
• How to help a child/teen struggling with confidence or anxiety

These are the subjects every parent is talking about but it is hard to find good support for addressing. On top of this there is so much conflicting information in regards to parenting approaches. Many parents feel powerless to address their children’s emotional health that are feeling dependent on sending their kid/teen to a mental health professional.

I am all for getting support for children and teens, but sending them off to individual therapy alone often leaves the parents ill equipped to help. The children and teens often don’t have the motivation or support outside of sessions to practice the skills they learn in therapy. Here is a tough one to swallow as well; kids can’t fix relationship challenges with you on their own. They need you, to become the best version of yourself to help them become who they are designed to be as well. 

Counseling for Parenting

I help parents address the behaviors they are doing that are not helping the relationship or leading to further disconnection. I then help parents build a strong relationship with this children, one that is mutually respectful to everyone in the family. I am Level 1 trained in Relational Life Therapy (RLT). This is an approach in counseling that helps you learn how to shift how you respond your relationships. RLT also helps you again insight and change any unhelpful patterns from your family origin, your relationship DNA. 

Let’s be real, most of us can point to our unresolved struggles growing up as due to a parent that did not give us the relationship we needed at the time. The parent-child relationship is now evidenced to be key in good mental health well-being for a child or teen. You can be apart of breaking any burdens and perpetual struggles your family has struggled with. But it takes your involvement in breaking these patterns. 

I challenge parents, be a part of the counseling with your children & teens. Your child/teen is dependent on your effort and commitment to helping them grow. If you are struggling any concerns related to parenting, I can help you improve your relationship with your child or teen and offer you the tools to navigate forward.

Start improving your relationship with your children/teens today

During the parenting coaching sessions I also give you the key education, exercises and skills you can pass along to your child or teen to help them have increased confidence and control over their emotions. If you are tired of “what is my child/teen gaining from therapy” let’s connect, and I will give you all the information you need. We’ll also address how to make sure you are getting your daily “oxygen mask” through the struggle.

I invite you to reach out to me today to set up a consultation with any questions and learn how I can help.