No one doubts the trials and tribulation of parenthood, but you don’t have to simply accept the anxieties, frustrations, and struggles that come along with it. At a certain point, if you are extremely overwhelmed, you may want to consider parenting therapy to help you cope with all the ups and downs of your role. A mental health professional may be able to help you navigate the tumultuous waters of parenting.
Good For You And Your Child
When you have your first child, you may direct all your attention to your kid, often at the expense of your own needs. Of course, you will lose sleep if you have a very young child who needs to be fed in the middle of the night. But you may find yourself compromising your basic physical and emotional needs long after that. This is where parenting therapy can come into play.
You may think it is selfish to consider your own needs when you have a child, but parenting therapy can benefit both you and your child. You are at your best as a parent when you are at your best overall. You don’t have to feel guilty for wanting to do something for yourself if you are stressed or confused. It is important to attend to your own needs and struggles, for obvious reasons, but doing so can also benefit your child.
Serving As A Model
Not only does parenting therapy help you deal with your own personal conflicts, but it will also demonstrate to your child the importance of doing so, even if you go to therapy before your child is old enough to remember. Having transparent conversations about mental health with your children from a young age can destigmatize the topic even before your children hear the stigma from external sources in the world as they get older. This will encourage them to more openly address any mental or emotional issues they are dealing with and learn to ask for help in dealing with them.
Not Just Individual
Parenting therapy can include as many or as few members of your family as necessary. If you and your partner are raising a child together, you may find it helpful to talk everything through with a mental health counselor while your partner is there. Your partner might also need the advice and counseling of a parenting therapist. In some cases, you may go to family counseling with your child to work on behavior issues, strengthening your relationship, or processing changes in your lives.
Additional Support
A strong support network can help you during the uncertainties and struggles of parenting or help out with your kids when you’re busy. However, you may still benefit from talking to a parenting therapist, who can help you in ways that your support network cannot. If you have a less stable support system, you may not be able to talk through your issues or ask for help as readily. Parenting therapy can be useful in either situation, but it may be especially important if you lack people who you can turn to when you are struggling.
Extenuating Circumstances
You may find yourself in a situation that makes parenting more difficult. The following issues may present their own set of unique challenges on top of the normal struggles of parenting.
- Single parenting, especially after the death of a spouse or as a survivor of domestic abuse
- Postpartum depression or post traumatic stress disorder
- Job loss/financial hardship
- A mental illness diagnosis or substance abuse issues
- Having a family member with a disability or chronic health condition
- Childcare arrangements
- Recent relocation
In these cases, among others not listed, parenting counseling may help you process the challenges you face, in a controlled setting. This will help you personally and also help you avoid letting these issues affect your child negatively.
Seek Professional Help
Acknowledging that you may need counseling can be a difficult decision. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of parenting therapy for you and your family, contact Fifth Street Counseling Center. We offer services at three locations in Broward County, and we also are now offering video counseling sessions on a safe and secure online platform. Give us a call today at (954) 797-5222 to find out what we can do for you.
