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Would
my child be helped by counseling? What
are some signs that my child might benefit from counseling? Here are some indicators
that your child might benefit from counseling: - If
your child doesn't want to go to school
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If your child is moody or angry or withdrawn
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If your child's teacher has commented that your child is not working up to his
or her potential
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If your child's behavior is interfering with his or her ability to get along with
peers or siblings
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If you as a parent feel as if your child is not responding to your parenting methods
What
is counseling? Counseling is forming a helping relationship with your child
where your child can explore thoughts or feelings he or she might have trouble
expressing and where the counselor can help determine underlying issues that are
affecting or influencing maladaptive behavior that is affecting your child's ability
to succeed. Is
Christian counseling biblical? I Thessalonians 5:14 encourages us to, "Admonish
the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone."
Professional Christian counselors are trained to employ clinical skills as they
use their God-given talents and gifts for empathy, discernment, and wisdom. Do
all Safe Harbor counselors work with kids? No. When you call our office, you
will be referred to a counselor who received specialized training in working with
children. This training may include the use of play therapy, it may include experience
working within the school system with children, it may include courses in child
therapy at the graduate level, or it may include post-graduate seminars or workshops. My
child has ADD, ADHD, or ODD, etc., and is taking medication. Isn't that enough?
Usually, no. Often, children have been prescribed medication without a formal
assessment or without counseling to support behavioral change. Your child's counselor
will investigate whether testing would be helpful. Counseling can address behavior
and attitudes that are interfering with your child's performance at school and/or
home. Your child's counselor can teach your child better coping mechanisms and
help them learn compensatory behaviors that will support the medical intervention.
Your child's counselor can also work with you as a parent to help you develop
more effective parenting strategies such as training you in filial therapy. If
my child is acting out, doesn't that mean that I have been too lenient as a parent
and simply need to be stricter? God always deals with us within the context
of grace and truth. As parents sometimes we are good administrators of God's truth
and weak ministers of God's grace. Often this is because we ourselves have not
received sufficient amounts of God's grace. A Christian counselor can help parents
balance this equation in their parenting.
[
RETURN TO FAQS ] Will
insurance cover the counseling? Call
our main office at 301-292-2778 or 888-283-4220 and have our office staff discuss
your insurance options. We are "In Network Non Participating" with several major
insurance companies. Those companies who we are not in network with may still
cover our services.
[
RETURN TO FAQS ] What
can I expect during the initial session? During
the initial session we attempt to gather some helpful background information.
We also realize that there may be some issues that you desire immediate help with.
Therefore, we attempt to balance assessment and diagnosis with actually beginning
to work on issues that brought you in.
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RETURN TO FAQS ] How
structured are the sessions? In
this area we also attempt to provide a balance. On the one hand, there is therapy
where the counselor just listens and provides little or no direction or feedback.
In contrast, there are also counselors who function more like educators in marriage
and life issues rather than counselors. We attempt to provide feedback and direction
without stifling clients or watching them wander aimlessly through the counseling
process. We also provide guidance and direction while respecting the direction
that the client wants to take with their treatment. We frequently make suggestions
regarding issues that we perceive a need to focus on. However, it is ultimately
the decision of the client as to whether they desire to deal with these suggestions.
[
RETURN TO FAQS ] How
long does the counseling last? This
greatly varies from client to client depending upon several factors. The first
factor involves how deeply clients desire to work on issues. Some people hire
us as professionals to get them through a current crisis only. Other clients feel
that they need our help in sorting out the deeper underlying issues that either
got them into the crisis or that the crisis revealed. Another factor is the severity
of the problem that brings someone in for treatment. Obviously, the more severe
the problem, the greater the potential for treatment to last a longer time. Normally,
goals are set in the beginning of the counseling and progress is discussed along
the way. When the goals are met, counseling either ends or new goals are made.
Therefore, the average case lasts about 15 sessions with some shorter and some
longer. Some clients come 3-4 times and have met their goals, while others with
more chronic problems may be in therapy much longer.
[
RETURN TO FAQS ] How
do I know if I need counseling? This
is a very personal question. For the same problem, one person may choose to not
get counseling while another person opts for therapy. A basic rule is that if
there are issues that trouble you to the point that they interfere with either
your functioning in life or your well being, then it may be time to seek professional
help. This is especially true if you have tried to handle it on your own and it
has not gotten better. You can always come to see us for one session in order
to help you sort out whether or not we can be helpful to you.
[
RETURN TO FAQS ] How
much are the parents involved when a child or adolescent comes in for counseling? This
depends upon the nature of the problem. Normally, we involve the parents in some
capacity in every session when a child is in treatment. The older the child, the
more he or she is treated individually. This issue involves a clinical judgment
on the part of the clinician. If the main problem is assessed to be issues within
the family, then family therapy is employed as the main treatment modality. Conversely,
the assessment may reveal that the young person needs to have a safe place to
talk confidentially with someone regarding particular issues. If this is the case,
we still provide general feedback to the parents regarding progress and what we
think they can do to offer support to their child. Under very few, if any circumstances,
would we ever treat a child or adolescent and never give the parents any feedback
or involve them in any way.
[
RETURN TO FAQS ] What
do I do if I need marriage counseling but my spouse will not come in? The
short answer is - come in by yourself. The reason for this is that we have seen
many occasions where one spouse begins to change and make improvements. In turn,
this provides motivation for the other spouse to come in.
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