Asking for help requires courage, trust, and hope. The simple act of reading this post can be hard, especially when you are thinking about bringing your child to therapy. You might feel worried that others will think you are a “bad” parent because your child has anxiety. People often worry about feeling judged for talking about mental health, so they keep quiet. Social media makes it seem like everyone else has life figured out. This is not true, though. People often only show the best parts of their life on social media, which can make you feel isolated and alone with your problems.
Everyone Struggles Sometimes
Everyone has hard times. Even though you may be feeling alone as you go through this tough season, know that others are also having a hard time with issues similar to yours. You don’t know about it, but that is because people put their best foot forward. My mom always told me when I was a kid, “If you think someone is perfect, you just don’t know them.” This is so true! Every day, people look at other people’s best versions of themselves and compare their real life to someone’s highlight reel.
I am here to tell you that you are not alone. That person on Instagram with the perfect caption? She struggles, too. The Mommy on Facebook who looks like her kids came out of a perfect Pinterest board? Her kids have tantrums, too. She sometimes wears the same shirt twice (okay, maybe three times) in a row and she should buy stock in dry shampoo. Your problems aren’t unique. Your friends just aren’t talking about the hard parts of parenting.
Is therapy right for me or my child?
Here are some ways to know if you should consider going to therapy or bringing your child to Play Therapy:
- Have you been feeling overwhelmed with worry? In today’s society, feeling stressed is often seen as a status symbol. Starting at an early age, people are frequently overworked. Self-care is seen as something less important than pushing through tough feelings. People often feel as if situations are beyond their control and are being reactionary rather than proactive when it comes to managing life’s day-to-day concerns. If parenting your kiddo is causing you to feel overwhelmed, out of control, and like you don’t know where to turn, maybe it is time to reach out to someone to learn some techniques to feel empowered to raise your child. Learn more about the ways counseling and play therapy can help you or your child.
- Have you recently experienced major life changes? Often, my clients have changed schools, transitioned to college, moved houses or cities, or have had other situations to adapt to. In these situations, processing feelings and developing strategies to promote positive thinking can be helpful. Parenting is hard. Parenting through change is really hard. Sometimes your child needs some help to adjust to changes going on in your family life. Maybe you want to also want to learn some tips to feel like you can support your child through the change. Parent consultation is a major part of my work with children and families so that everyone feels equipped to best meet the child’s needs.
- Do you feel stuck? There can be so much pressure to decide who you want to be from an early age. Maybe you used to feel connected to an idea of who your ideal self would be, but perhaps you no longer feel this way. In these situations, we can work together to help you set new goals and feel more connected to who you want to be. Maybe your child seems to be struggling with making friends, and you want to help them to improve their self-esteem to have more meaningful relationships.
- Are you in the process of coming out? Regardless of how supportive your network is, it can be a scary process to disclose such a personal aspect of your life. Processing your readiness to come out as well as the reactions of your family and friends can help to make this life transition less overwhelming.
- Do you want to feel more authentically you? It can be easy to focus on who others feel we should be instead of creating the life you want for yourself. Together, we can incorporate mindfulness techniques and other strategies to help you recommit to your true self.
Reaching out for help can be hard, but clients often find the process rewarding. Investing in yourself requires hard work and vulnerability, but anything worth doing is typically hard. If you are ready to invest in yourself, contact Megan today.
(504) 229-2683 | info@nourishinnola.com
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