Parenting can be one of the most challenging task a person will ever undertake. Couple the already difficult task of parenting with a child who is struggling with grief, anxiety, depression, sexual abuse, addiction or behavioral problems and it is overwhelming. Kids are often dealing with similar stressors as adults including divorce, grief, addiction, and crime.

 

Counseling with children and adolescents will often require the parents involvement. Although some children can benefit from individual therapy, parental or other adult caregiver involvement in the process can be the key to long-term success. Parents have a significant impact on their children’s lives and will be there after the therapist is gone. For this reason parents and/or other adult caregivers will often be invited in to sessions and may even be asked to participate in individual sessions with the therapist.

 

A thorough history including developmental milestones, progress in school, and an understanding of the family dynamics will be obtained during the first one to two sessions with your therapist. Following the first few sessions the therapist will work with the child and the parents and/or the adult caregivers in the home to identify alternative coping skills, consider solutions to common challenges and work through the issues that brought the family in for counseling.

 

It is important that you and your child feel comfortable and trust the therapist that you see. For this reason, if at any time you do not feel like the therapist is meeting the goals or expectations you have it is important to address this with your therapist. Having these conversations can be difficult and/ or uncomfortable but are vital in ensuring that you and your family are receiving the best treatment possible.