What Is Therapeutic Parenting?
Therapeutic Parenting (TP) is a way of parenting aimed at meeting the specific needs of your children. TP is often spoken about in the context of trauma and attachment, as a child’s needs can be very different if they have experienced trauma and difficulties in attaching to care-givers whilst they were young. However, with increasing knowledge in the areas of mental health and child development, parents are becoming increasingly aware that they may need to know more in order to help their children - TP meets your parenting needs.
In our own experiences of being parented, we develop an understanding and appreciation for parenting concepts such as boundaries and taking responsibility; however, if a child has experienced trauma and attachment issues, or they have developed some unhealthy processes such as a need to get things perfect, their ability to respond well to 'general parenting' can be impaired. TP facilitates your understanding of your child’s trauma, attachment style & behaviours, helps you understand your own motivations when it comes to supporting your child and equips you with the knowledge and skill to parent in the way your child needs in order to heal, attach and learn new ways of being themselves.
Useful Blog: What To Expect When You Book A Therapeutic Parenting Intensive.
It is not about being a perfect parent, it is not about holding shame or guilt for not being ‘a natural parent’, being a Therapeutic Parent is being aware and OK with your limited capacity to know and do what your child needs, and making the commitment to learn and develop with your child.
As a psychotherapist with over 15 years of working therapeutically with children and their parents, it has become a thread within me. I want to share as much information with you as possible, so that you can be better informed and more confident in your parenting role. If this speaks to you, why not come and join my free Facebook community for parents & carers, I spend a lot of time in here answering questions and creating content based on their challenges and experiences. I also offer a Newsletter too, when you subscribe, you will also gain access to the Self-Esteem Online Workshop we ran in April, 2019.
Other Useful Blogs:
What to Expect when you Book a Therapeutic Parenting Intensive.
Why being Real is Important when you're a Parent.
8 Strategies for Helping your Anxious Child
Day-to-Day Strategies to Positively Impact your Children's Anxiety.
