Addressing The Challenges Of Parenting

Parent Counseling that Helps parents of teens navigate through adolescence

Divorce: An unfortunate, potentially devastating consequence of un-learned interpersonal skills.
We aren’t happy about it, but much of the work we do with families turns out to be helping them get through the process of divorce without damaging their kids or destroying each other. So much of what we see couples doing to one another could be avoided completely! And, when we work with parents, we have this in mind: By teaching effective and intelligent parenting, we are preventing much of the turmoil that adults experience in their lives by helping them grow kids to be well-adjusted and emotionally intelligent. Does it surprise you that divorce prevention starts at home when children are young.?

Firstly, a healthy, emotionally intelligent marriage takes two people who are comfortable in their own skins. That is to say, they know themselves well, have a healthy, intact self-concept, and are not overly dependent on others to shape how they feel about themselves. This may sound easy, but many adults do not have these attributes to form a union that can withstand the day-to-day stresses of family life and endure long past the nest emptying.

Secondly, as children, we need to see strong conflict resolution skills role modeled and reinforced in different ways. In all marriages there will be inevitable conflict. How we handle that conflict will determine how happy we are. There is an effective way to deal with an angry spouse and a way that will cause chaos. So many of us choose the latter because of what our inner voice is telling us.

Thirdly, communication is the main ingredient for a healthy marriage. We are taught as children to expect certain things from people without really communicating those expectations first. That mistake contributes to silent treatments, hurt feelings and divorce courts.

If couples would seek relationship education before they get married they would have a much better chance of success. And when there is any sign of trouble, they should seek a marriage coach or a family therapist to help them sort out the underlying reasons for the on-going conflict.

Understanding what constitutes a healthy marriage is key to making one. Seeking help while the marriage is still strong is one step. There are books on the subject, but reading something then applying it isn’t as easy as it sounds. Working with a neutral party like a marriage coach helps couples prevent much of the circumstances that create a trail of wounded hearts. Life Management: Capturing the Power of Commitment.

Helping parents of teens navigate the muddy waters of adolescence
Of all the workshops we do, we are most gratified to help parents who feel they have lost connection with their teens. Sadly, many homes where teens live become battlegrounds unnecessarily. Our Parenting Teens workshops give parents an entirely different perspective from which to work. They learn how to create a more amiable atmosphere, teach respect and foster trust. They examine new research on the teen brain and the psychology behind teens’ misbehavior. And best of all…they learn new ways to teach responsibility that really sticks! In the long run,, this workshop will be more of a benefit to your teen than some fancy college!