At The Retreat Clinics, we know that sometimes parenting can be tough. It is developmentally healthy for all children to go through periods of pushing boundaries and to exhibit more challenging behaviours. This could be in response to illness or a period of change i.e., puberty, starting school, birth of a sibling, change in routine over holidays etc. But how do you know when it might be time to ask for some extra support?
Nobody knows your child better than you. If, as a parent, you are feeling stuck or lost as to how best to support your children, regardless of the circumstances, please know that you are never alone, and it is ok to ask for help.
Parenting groups can be a fantastic source of support. Mumbler has a wealth of information on their website of online and local groups that you can connect with. Children’s charities such as NSPCC have a range of resources for parents and free support lines for young people. At The Retreat Clinics we have a host of blogs and content written by specialist children and young people therapists that cover a range of topics from childhood depression to bullying. We also run free parenting workshops throughout the year that cover specific topics. For example, our May workshop is specifically for parents around building children’s resilience. Please sign up to our newsletter to find out more information https://bit.ly/3io6L0k.
Please email manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk if you are interested in finding out more information.
It is important to remember that every child is different, and each family is unique, however some of the more common signs that might indicate that a young person needs additional support or guidance can be the following;
Children’s emotions can be unpredictable and lots of the signs listed above can be common in children and young people. However, it is helpful to think about how much these behaviours or emotions are persisting, the impact of them and the overall level of distress to the young person or the family. Reflecting on these three things can be a helpful indicator to know if you need some additional support.
We also recommend getting curious with your child. Ask them, without any assumptions, about how they are and reflect on the changes you have noticed. Also consider asking them how they would feel about getting some help and discuss what this may look like for them. Exploration through play and drawing can be great place to start with younger children.
Some families come to us wanting support, not because their child is showing any of the signs listed in this article, but because a child or the family have experienced a distressing or traumatic event. Our team of therapists can consider what approach might be best for your family and to help you and/or your child process what has happened and/or feel more prepared to know how best to respond if they do start to struggle.
For families who are able to seek therapy, we can offer a range of different therapeutic approaches depending on what is going to work best for you and your young person. For example, for some parents, a block of parenting sessions is enough for them to feel empowered and better equipped to implement some tailored strategies at home. For others, it is more impactful for the young person to have their own space with a therapist to help them understand what is going on and develop strategies to help overcome their difficulties.
To work out what is going to work best for you and your family, we first invite parents, and where appropriate, the young person, to an assessment. This helps the therapist understand more about what the difficulties are and give you opportunity to ask questions and together agree the best approach, specifically tailored to the age, needs and choices of the child and family. We believe it is important to be transparent about our prices at every stage of your journey with us, and you can find a full price list here Our Prices | The Retreat Clinics | York, Manchester, Online – The Retreat Clinics.
We know that parenting can be hard, and life can throw us curveballs at times. We are here to help if we can. Please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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