Parents who take an active role in child counseling significantly improve their child’s success and progress. The counselor will work with your child directly, but there are things you can do to carry out the lessons learned after the counseling sessions are over. Let’s take a closer look at the role parents play in child and family counseling.
Help A Child Feel Comfortable During Counseling Sessions
At first, going to the counselor can be a scary experience. Your child is being put in a new environment with someone he doesn’t know. Having a parent there helps the child see that this is a positive experience – everything is OK. Once your child has attended a few sessions, he will automatically know that this is a safe environment and will feel comfortable on his own.
Talk About Issues A Child May Not Bring Up
Some children are incredibly open about their issues right from the start. Others take time to speak out during counseling sessions. No matter how talkative your child is though, there are some issues that your child may not bring up on his own. You may talk to the counselor about these matters before the session begins so he or she can ask targeted questions that bring the subject up. If not, you can step in to say something.
Note that these sessions are ultimately designed for the child. Your counselor will want to hear your child’s direct opinion, not your perspective of his opinion. Try to let your child do the talking as much as possible because that is the key to making progress.
Follow-Through With Counseling After The Sessions
Your child’s counselor will give you activities and techniques to try at home as part of the counseling process. For instance, if your child is feeling neglected, you may set up scheduled family time each evening to spend time together. If your child is struggling in school, your counselor may have new learning methods to try at home. This will all be customized to fit your child’s needs, but as the parent, you have the task of carrying out the plan.
Learn How To Communicate With Your Child
Good communication is crucial in every relationship, including the parent/child bond. Your child counselor can help you learn better ways to speak to your child so your disciplinary actions are effective. This will reduce the frequency of fights, temper tantrums, and defiance, which will ultimately take stress off you.
Talk to your child counselor in Michigan about other ways you can help with therapy.
