Positive Parenting

Having children and becoming a family unit is one life ambition that many people have in common. There are certainly many joys involved in bringing up children, but equally many challenges. With full responsibility for their care and development, yet no definitive ‘how to’ guide, most parents are simply giving it their best shot.

For parents there can be considerable pressure to ‘do the right thing’, but as few people have managed to be the perfect parent and each child is different, what is the right thing? We often get through by seeking the advice of family and friends, following the words of professionals, trusting our own instinct and being influenced by peer pressure.

There are many different approaches to parenthood, but at the end of the day, the majority of people are hoping to bring up well rounded individuals. No matter which way we go about it, we generally want our children to have the confidence, skills, knowledge and self-motivation to thrive as adults.

This goal may sound relatively straight forward, yet there can be many factors which make it far from a walk in the park.

Relationship Challenges

Even for the strongest family units, there will be times when we face challenges. Our efforts as parents can seem fruitless and we may feel ill-equipped to deal with what we are facing. As the people who are meant to be responsible, protective, supportive and guiding, it can feel like failure when you don’t have the answers.

Challenges might be in the form of conflicting parenting styles that cause tension between the adults in the family. They could be the result of differing responses to a major life event, such as moving to a new area or the death of a family member. It can be a personality clash with our children that makes everyday interactions explosive.

When we are failing to have a constructive relationship with our children or we can’t seem to find the right way to help them through a tough situation, it can seem that there is nowhere to turn. As an emotionally bound unit, it is difficult to take a step back and see things from an objective perspective. Our efforts to make improvements can simply escalate the problem.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Whilst any family will face challenges, there can come a time when an on-going issue is pushing everyone to the limit. In order to turn things around, the input of a professional counsellor can really help. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a widely used counselling technique that is used to help everyone involved to understand the situation and action change.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy offers everyone an opportunity to present things from their perspective and to hear the view point of others in a confidential and supportive environment. It helps everyone to recognise their role in the relationship and the impact their actions have on others. It provides the chance for everyone to consider how they could contribute to changing the situation around. It has helped many families to get back on the right track.

Whether you are an individual, couple or family group that need support in changing things for the better, a professional counsellor can help. If you want more information on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Amersham based Cognisant PDC are happy to answer your questions.