family counseling to save your familyfamily counseling to save your family

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family counseling to save your family

Raising a teenager is more difficult than I had ever imagined it would be. What had made it more difficult is the fact that my husband and I had separated and were contemplating getting a divorce. You know, teenagers are hormonal and emotional enough without parents throwing a wrench into their daily lives. Instead of giving up on our family, we all started going to a family therapist to get some help. It has helped us all a lot because we have learned how to talk to each other and discuss the problems that we had rather than screaming and not dealing with any of the issues at hand.

Preparing Your Child For A Counseling Session

23 March 2017
 Categories: , Blog

If you are in the process of getting divorced, and your school-aged child is having difficulty with the idea of the way of life they will be dealing with, you may have considered taking them for counseling to help in talking through their feelings about the matter. Your child may be quite anxious about the prospect in opening up to a stranger about their relationship with you and your soon to be ex-spouse. Here are some tips you can use to help your child relax and let the counselor know about their thoughts regarding your upcoming divorce.

Talk To Your Child About What A Session Entails

Fear or worry about the unknown is likely to be weighing heavily on your child's mind if they are alerted about a session with a counselor. It is best, however, not to spring the meeting upon your child without telling them about it first. Explain to your child that you had scheduled an appointment for them to discuss the divorce with someone other than yourself or your spouse. Make sure they know the session is in confidence, meaning they can speak freely without worry that you or your spouse will find out what they had discussed.

Interview A Few Counselors With Your Child

One way to help your child relax with the prospect of counseling sessions is by having them get involved in finding the right person to talk to. Make a few appointments with different counselors in your area. Bring your child to meet these prospective counselors so they can talk with them with you in the room. Your child may take to one person a bit better than another. When they find a counselor they seem to have a rapport with, make an additional appointment for them to talk to this professional on their own. If your child feels uncomfortable with a specific counselor, do not make an additional appointment with this person as your child will be likely to clam up during an individual appointment.

Make The Day Of A Session Fun For The Child

Let your child know that after their appointment with the therapist is over, you will spend some one-on-one time with them doing an activity of their choosing. This "reward" will make the session a bit more tolerable for a child who is reluctant to discuss their feelings with a professional mental health provider. They will come to enjoy these special days, and will associate their sessions with something fun to do after they are over. To find out more, speak with someone like NeuroHealth Arlington Heights.