As parents, we have good intentions to help our kids successfully work through life's challenges. We give them advice based on our own experiences and what we learned from them - this seems to be the right approach. And yet, hard as we try, sometimes things backfire. They continue to push our buttons, they don't "hear" us, they talk back...or don't talk at all. And suddenly, we're at our wits' end. We want to protect them, but we've got nothing left in our toolkit to share, and we're frustrated that our parenting is not doing what we we hoped it would do.
It's natural to throw up your hands and decide: "It must be a phase; they'll come out of it eventually. There's nothing I can do!"
But there IS something you can do. I can help you learn how to stay connected with your teen, help you to hear them, and help them to hear you. You can help them Part of the challenge in parenting is that, whether we know it or not, we dispense advice based on our personal youth experiences and the strategies we developed to cope at that age. But your teen is living a different reality with their own unique personality - they need their own boundaries, coping strategies and most important, a soft place to fall, in order to find their way through the obstacles, big and small.
I specialize in working with parents of teens and "tweens" between the ages of 12 - 16. My goal is to help you build self-confidence in your role and ability as a parent, and discover how to re-establish the connection with your child so they have the stability and security they need at home. If your child is experiencing any of the following, I can help:
bullying
learning disabilities
mild behavioral challenges
health challenges, eating disorders
low self-esteem
peer pressure and other friend-driven issues
feeling like they don't fit in
rebellion and anger
anxiety
conflict with family members
Or, perhaps you feel like you just don't know what's going on with your child - are they facing a serious crisis or just trying to manage everyday dramas? When is it time to step in, and how do you do that if they don't want you to "interfere"? These questions have answers. I will help you find them.
Is counselling available for my tween/ teen? Yes. Counselling sessions for your teen, with or without you present, are very appropriate in some cases. I provide a safe environment that allows your teen to openly express themselves without fear of judgement or repercussions. Young people often have difficulty understanding what they are feeling and why. Counselling gives a space for those feelings to be validated, examined and accepted. Your teen is then better equipped to recognize triggers and manage those feelings when they come into play.
What type of therapy do I use in Parent & Teen Counselling? I mix research-driven, evidence-based therapy with the number one rated catalyst in therapeutic progress: the Therapeutic Relationship. Therapies I apply in counselling sessions include:
Transpersonal Counselling Psychology (based on the belief that we are all connected and there is a power greater than ourselves)
Roger’s Client-Centered, Person-Centered Approach
Gestalt Therapy (here and now)
Bowen’s Family Systems Theory
Attachment Theory
Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focussed Therapy for Individuals
Experiential Processes
Contact me for more information and to regain the connection between you and your child.