Becoming a parent is a huge transitional time for us as adults. Prepared as we think we are, we are always searching for the best advice and that magical guidebook that can tell us what to expect and what to do. We come into this role influenced by how we were parented, as well as by what our experience of being a child and teenager was like. When one is a parent of a child with high needs, we are often in uncharted territory and are presented with a whole other set of expectations, responsibilities and systems.
You may be facing many issues - your child’s (potential) diagnosis, how it will impact them and your life, what it may mean for school success, how your child is different from their siblings and/or friends, etc. You may also be experiencing some feelings of grief and loss in coming to terms with tough realities and questions that challenge not only who you are as parents, but who you are as individuals. As a therapist, I offer parent coaching sessions to allow you to bring all of the experiences of parenthood into a safe and confidential space where we will talk about everything - the questions, fears, challenges, options and joys of raising a child in our world today. This is an opportunity for you to put a voice to anything you are going through and be able to gain clarity and perspective on this essential role of being your child’s parent.
Positive Discipline Coaching is a unique intervention that combines the tenants and core strategies of: developmental psychology, EFFT (Emotion-Focused Family Therapy), and Positive Discipline for Parents. The sessions are tailored to support families with children who have unique needs, such as attentional challenges, Executive Functioning deficits, and other mental health needs like anxiety and/or depression. While all families can benefit from Positive Discipline, this workshop is especially helpful for those who have “tried everything” and need more. Here is what parents can expect:
A minimum of 10 individualized and consecutive 1-hour sessions.
To truly individualize, I review any professional evaluations and school-based assessments and/or documents pertaining to the specific needs of the child prior to starting the sessions. To provide continuity of care, I collaborate with other helping professionals who know the child well.
Parents have ongoing communication with me between sessions to help problem-solve and collaborate as issues unfold in the home. This allows for meaningful growth not only during sessions, but between them as well.
Parents are provided specific Positive Discipline and therapeutic tools to utilize at home, based on the needs of the child and family.
At the conclusion of the 10 sessions, I provide recommendations for continued support and next steps after completion of the parent coaching including ongoing parents sessions as needed.