Parenting
One of the best parts of “the job” is the time spent working with parents and families. To be able to understand how a child experiences the world and help her express herself or work with her family and school to improve her overall life situation is rewarding. The challenges of child behavior problems- preschoolers who are asked to leave preschool, school aged children dealing with school refusal, and of course teenagers (no further explanation necessary) are fun.
Experience
I have been talking to and with parents for over 15 years in private practice. I have learned a great deal. I hope I have also helped ease family life for those I have been privileged to work with. I suspect I have gleaned more wisdom than I have imparted.
When I started out as a therapist, I was young, and looked even younger. It was suggested that I see children. Realizing that graduate school did not necessarily prepare me for how to actually “do” therapy with children. uh oh. After countless hours of boredom playing board games with children without much effect, I started to listen, educate myself and form something called a treatment plan. I still see children as a part of the practice- because it makes a difference, and because many therapists do not. Perhaps they got tired of the board games.
The mom connection. One should pay attention. I have been privileged to work and consult with some very resourceful advocates for children- children who have special medical needs, learning disabilities, or have had different life experiences. I took notes.
You’ll Save Yourself A Lot of Money in Therapy if….
There are many situations where child therapy and family therapy is needed, particularly if there has been a traumatic event, illness, divorce, sudden change in a child’s environment and he is experiencing difficulty functioning in his home, school or relationships. However, there are also many situations where child therapy/psychotherapy time can be decreased and avoided when parents can utilize techniques at home to handle communication and behavior problems. These two books go a long way in basic parenting skills. there are others recommended throughout the site, but honestly… start with these two.
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