Parenting counseling and space therapy

Parenting Counseling is a transformative journey that empowers you to cultivate deeper connections and healthier relationships with your child. I specialize in supporting parents through a wide range of challenges and concerns, providing you with the tools, insights, and strategies you need to navigate the ups and downs of parenthood with confidence and resilience.

Common Issues Addressed in therapy for parents

Parenting Challenges:

Discipline, communication, and setting boundaries are essential aspects where counseling for parents can provide valuable guidance.

Family Dynamics:

Navigating changes in family structure, such as blended families, often benefits from professional parenting counseling.

Co-Parenting:

Strategies for effective co-parenting after separation or divorce are enhanced through counseling for parents.

Parental Stress:

Parent therapy manages stress, anxiety, and self-care for parents.

Child Development:

Understanding and supporting different stages of child development is an area where parents can benefit greatly from parenting counseling services.

Benefits of Parenting Counseling

It's truly exhausting, backbreaking, and even distressing to raise a child despite the rewards of parenting being amazing. As Moms and Dads, it is overwhelming to see your toddler grow into a young kid and then gain independence as a teenager. 

But, at every stage of your growth journey, diverse obstructions may surface for the parents. From inattentiveness in school to self-destructive habits, impolite behaviors to emotional triggers, poor mental health to substance abuse, your child can be troubled with any issues that only you can help them conquer as a parent. 

Snead Psychological Services understands that you need comprehensive parent therapy to stay mentally strong and healthy and to help your child stay on their unique growth journey. 

Here are some of the potential benefits you may receive from parenting counseling services. 

  • Gain ideas on creating a safe and secure environment for your child to express their feelings and be seen and heard. 

  • Get quick remedies and therapy for parents that help control anger and frustration.

  • Learn how to teach discipline and behaviors to help your child grow as a responsible adult.   

  • Have constant, unwavering support from a specialist parenting therapist who is there for you as an authority figure to help you deal with any of your child's problems. 

  • Discover ways to overcome the fear associated with your child having an illness, addiction, trauma, failure, or bad company. 

  • Keep your child's issues or your parenting confessions confidential with our therapist and have peace of mind.

Offering SPACE Therapy (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions)

At Snead Psychological Services, I am dedicated to providing comprehensive support for families dealing with childhood anxiety. One of the key offerings is SPACE therapy. This evidence-based SPACE treatment is specifically designed to help parents effectively support their children in managing anxiety and related disorders.

What is SPACE treatment?

SPACE therapy is a parent-based treatment developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center. Unlike traditional child-focused therapies, SPACE therapy focuses on empowering parents to create a supportive environment that promotes their child’s ability to cope with anxiety. SPACE treatment emphasizes changes in parental behavior, rather than directly targeting the child's behavior, making it an excellent option for families where traditional child-focused therapies have not been effective or are not feasible.

How SPACE Therapy Works

Assessment: 

The first step in the SPACE therapy involves a thorough assessment of your child's anxiety and the family dynamics. This helps me understand the specific challenges you are facing and tailor the parenting counseling to your unique needs.

Parental Guidance:

Through regular counseling for parents, I guide parents in identifying and modifying their own responses to their child’s anxiety. This might involve reducing accommodation behaviors—actions parents take to help their child avoid anxiety-provoking situations—which, while well-intentioned, can reinforce the child’s anxiety over time.

Skill Development: 

Parents learn specific strategies in counseling for parents to help their child build resilience and independence. This includes techniques for providing supportive, yet firm, encouragement and fostering a sense of competence in their child.

Ongoing Support: 

I provide continuous support and feedback through parent counseling as parents implement the strategies at home. This ensures that you feel confident and capable in supporting your child's journey towards managing their anxiety.

Benefits of SPACE Therapy

Empowers Parents: 

By focusing on parental behavior, SPACE therapy empowers you to be an active participant in your child's treatment.

Reduces Family Stress: 

Helping your child manage anxiety can reduce stress and improve overall family dynamics.

Flexible and Accessible: 

SPACE treatment can be conducted through both individual therapy and teletherapy sessions, making it accessible for families with different needs and schedules.

Evidence-Based: 

Research has shown that SPACE treatment is effective in reducing childhood anxiety and improving overall family functioning.

Get Started with SPACE Therapy

If your child is struggling with anxiety and traditional therapies have not been successful, the SPACE program might be the right fit for your family. Contact me today to schedule an initial consultation and learn more about how SPACE can help you support your child in overcoming anxiety and achieving emotional well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Parenting therapy is unique for parents because it helps them cope with hurdles, confusions, and stresses arising in their parenting journey. Parent therapy also assists you with understanding the experiences or present situations that affect your child and helps you address them. 

  • You can seek parenting therapy whenever you feel distressed in your parenting journey, face a conflict with your child, your child is having behavioral issues, or you are having difficulty understanding how to deal with your child's problems and circumstances. 

  • Your child may need to be present during the parenting therapy to understand your relationship's depth, level of understanding, conflict areas, etc. However, there are also times where the child does not need to be involved in the therapy process.

  • During the first parent therapy session, several important elements are typically covered to establish a foundation for effective therapy. I provide an overview of therapy and discuss confidentiality, including its limits (e.g., situations involving harm to self or others). Additionally, I gather relevant information including family background, child’s background and the presenting issue. We then discuss and set specific, realistic goals for therapy.

  • Yes, parent therapy can significantly help improve your child’s behavior. It can assist with improving parenting skills and enhancing communication with your child. Additionally, it can assist with improving emotion regulation.

  • Yes, therapy for parents can significantly improve your relationship with your child. It can help you understand child development and behavior. Additionally, therapy can assist with active listening and effective communication with your child. Parent therapy often emphasizes the importance of spending quality time with your child and engaging in activities that strength the parent-child bond.

  • Determining if parent therapy is right for you involves evaluating your current challenges, goals, and needs as a parent. If your child is exhibiting ongoing behavioral problems such as tantrums, aggression, defiance, or withdrawal, therapy can help you address these issues effectively. Additionally, if you’re experiencing a strained relationship with your child, marked by frequent conflicts, communication breakdowns, or emotional distance, parent therapy can provide strategies to improve your bond. Parenting can be incredibly stressful. If you often feel overwhelmed, stressed, or unsure about your parenting decisions, therapy can offer support and guidance.

Contact Me Now to Schedule a Consultation