Parent Counseling
Helping parents build skills to nurture themselves and their families.
Imagine a life where you parent from a place of wholeness…
You knew parenting would be hard, but you never expected it to be like this. The daily showdowns with toddler tantrums can seriously wear you out, leaving you questioning your every move. And when it comes to communicating with your teenager, everything you say seems to be the wrong thing. No matter your child’s age, you want them to feel comfortable sharing their life with you and know you've got their back.
And on top of all this, you may even find yourself attempting to embody a parental role that differs from the one that was modeled for you. How can you do better, respond better, and love better than you observed in your own upbringing? You're trying and yet, you feel stuck. On tough days you wonder, “Am I a bad parent?” And I bet sometimes you convince yourself that you are.
It's totally normal to second-guess if you're hitting the parenting bullseye. But here's the scoop: there's still hope, and you're not alone in this journey.
How parent counseling can help
My clients often come to me wanting to improve their relationship with their children, to support a child with mental health struggles, or to process how their own childhood has impacted their parenting journey. I have two main focuses when it comes to helping you with your parenting: building skills and healing your past. Some clients come to me for one, the other, or both. Your treatment is tailored to you.
Parenting Skills
With skill building, we practice how to validate your child and improve your communication with them. We explore ways for you to respond to their emotional needs with empathy, guidance, and boundaries. We may also spend time on how to set limits and consequences with your children at different ages. How can you navigate your own emotions when your children themselves are escalated? You take what you learn in session, apply it, and report back so we can make tweaks or change directions as needed.
Parent Healing
When we look at parent healing, we look at the parenting role that was modeled for you: your own parents and parent figures in your life. What was your experience like as a child and how does that impact your parenting? When our brains do not know what to do, our brain will default to what it has seen before. And when it comes to parenting, most often our brain uses the way we were parented to fill in the blanks.
What type of parenting style did your parents have? What type of parent do you want to be? I can help get you there.
Parent Counseling Topics
Examples of what we can work on together to help you be the parent you want to be.
How to support your child emotionally
Discover how therapy can equip you with essential validation skills no matter what age your children are. You’ll be a safe place for them to share their world with.
Navigating your own emotions
I’m talking about that tantrum your toddler is having for the 37th time today or the snarky comment from your teenager that truly hurt your feelings. What do these bring up in you? You are human by the way.
Setting limits and consequences
No one likes limits or consequences so I don’t promise they’ll be jumping up and down with joy. Still, we can work together on identifying expectations, limits, and consequences that get results and how to communicate these limits to your child.
Love languages
Learning your child's love language is like finding the secret code to their heart. It helps you build a stronger connection, making them feel cherished and understood, which is so important in your relationship.
Communication skills
Discovering some handy communication skills as a parent can make conversations with your child feel like a breeze, cutting down on those tricky misunderstandings and arguments. It's like giving your family a secret code for more meaningful talks and building stronger connections along the way.
Debriefing after a rough day
You had an argument with your teen and you don’t know if what you said was the right thing. You didn’t handle your toddler’s tantrum the way you wish you had. Debrief with me in a non-judgmental space. Process the feelings that arose for you as well.
Self-care for parents
When you are a parent, you put your children first. I specialize in helping parents implement self-care activities into busy schedules so you can be your best self for your child.
Reparent yourself
Reparenting yourself offers you the opportunity to heal past wounds and nurture your inner child, creating a stronger foundation for self-love and self-acceptance. This equips you with the emotional resilience and self-awareness needed to support your children in their own growth and emotional well-being.
Is parent counseling right for me?
Parent counseling might be a great fit if any of these sound like you:
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Soon-to-be Parents
You’re about to bring new life into this world and want to be prepared to be the best parent you can be. Parent counseling at this stage fosters confidence in navigating the joys and challenges of welcoming a new addition to the family.
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New Parents
You're in the whirlwind stage of birth through toddlerhood, and let's face it, handling a tiny human's emotions while managing your own can be overwhelming. Your heart is all in, and you're eager to be there for your little one's emotional journey, building a strong foundation for a beautiful parent-child bond.
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Parents of Children
Parenting counseling can work wonders for parents of children aged 4-12. It provides practical tools and insights to navigate the unique challenges of this age group, from handling behavioral issues to building stronger connections with your kids, ensuring a happier, harmonious family life.
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Parents of Teenagers
Parenting therapy becomes your trusted ally during the teenage years. It gives you the tools for better communication, helps you handle those inevitable clashes, and gives you fresh insights into your teen's changing world, all to make sure you both grow stronger together through this exciting, challenging phase.
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Parents of Adult Children
Therapy for parents isn't limited to child-rearing; it's a helpful tool for parents of adult children too. It's like a guidebook for navigating evolving family dynamics, enhancing how you talk and connect, and building stronger, happier relationships as your kids step into new chapters of their lives.
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Supporting A Child With Mental Health Challenges
Your child is going through a tough time with their mental health, and as a parent, you might be feeling a bit lost about how to help them. It's totally normal to feel unsure about what to say or do in this situation. But don't worry, there's help available.
