Being a parent can be overwhelming at times and being a parent to a neurodivergent child even more so. Counselling offers a designated space to offload, explore and think about yourself, and how you’re feeling and coping. This can be a hugely important part of supporting yourself and your family as a whole.
What we talk about in therapy is down to you and what you want to focus on, but some areas we might think about could include:
- Moments of overwhelm or heightened emotion (including anxiety, frustration) – what causes these, how you cope, who helps you.
- The emotional load you’re carrying.
- What happens to your nervous system and the nervous systems of those around you when there’s distress or upset between you and how to work with this
- How a diagnosis for your child has affected you – how are you feeling about it and making sense of it
- Your expectations of yourself as a parent and as a person – we can put a lot of pressure on the ourselves.
- What you bring from your own experience of being parented – our own childhoods often inform how we parent
- Other parts of life that feel stressful and overwhelming – because you are more than just a parent.
The purpose of therapy is not to be taught answers to these questions, because there are no one size fits all formulas. Everyone and every family is unique. Therapy offers space to reflect with support about what is happening for you and why, and to begin to think about where things could shift for you. Simply having a regular space to talk and acknowledge the enormity of what you do on a daily basis can make a huge difference.
Counselling sessions are 50 minutes and usually take place on a weekly basis, however we appreciate that life and logistics are complicated and can discuss what’s likely to work for you.
Find out more about Emma Murray, our Counsellor and Psychotherapist, by visiting her profile. To book a consultation, contact adult.enquiries@drcassie.co.uk