You might be thinking “Here we go again with the therapy” and I don’t blame you. I used to think the same way, but the therapy I’ve been through with my kids in the past still helps me today.
Therapy used to be taboo but the world is changing. It’s helping people by giving them a chance to understand their feelings. Kids go through stuff, especially now. Even 5 year olds, they have a lot on their plate. It’s not a bad thing to let your kid speak to a professional, it’s good for them. It will help them.
A long time ago you weren't allowed to feel. It used to be that you didn’t have a choice to have feelings, you would just be told to stop acting a certain way. We used to feel like kids’ thoughts weren’t important. They just had to be quiet and stay out of the way.
Back when I was a kid I had to deal with everything alone -- it wasn’t encouraged to talk about my issues. We had no outlet for that. Sometimes our kids feel like that today. As a parent, wouldn’t you want to help your kid? Once you give it a chance you might find out how much you really like it.
Why see a therapist?
Going to therapy is like going to the doctor, but for your mind. It helps people change their behavior, feel happy, accepted, and listened to.
Sometimes there are events that happen within our families that can trigger depression in our children. As a parent you have to pay bills and move forward, these things keep you from being in touch with your feelings. We don’t think about how it can affect our children. Therapy helped me learn ways to communicate to my kids that their feelings are important and I value what they have to say.
Therapy will provide your kid with an open door where they can be listened to by a trained professional.
What are they saying in therapy? Are they brainwashing my child?
The therapist has to keep everything confidential. Your family business will not be shared with anyone. It’s okay for your kid to talk to someone outside of your family, it helps them say things without fear of judgement.
Trust your child and allow them the freedom to express themselves without having to worry you will know everything they say. They are going to share anyway, if it’s not with a licensed professional they are going to share with friends. Who would you rather have them talk to?
At the end of the day, the therapist will help your child focus on their own feelings and behaviors. The therapist will communicate with you if there is something to be concerned about and you can always request a meeting with them.
Therapy helped improve my relationship with my kids.
How long do they have to go to therapy?
Therapy is not forever, it’s however long you want it to be. It’s different for everyone.
