Therapists and Bandaids
I hear this from parents I speak to all of the time, and my calls with the last several parents who enrolled in my bootcamp solidified my need to talk about this.
And it’s a tough one to say out loud since I am a therapist and I love my profession, and I love supervising and teaching therapists, and it’s also true that there are a ton of therapists out there who don’t know jack about how to work with highly sensitive children.
So that leaves you…
Dropping your kid off for therapy thinking this will decrease their anger.
Wondering if the person you’re sending your kid to knows exactly how freakin’ frustrating it is to deal with your kid on the daily.
Feeling like a sh*t parent because your kid’s therapist’s suggestions are just NOT going to work for your family.
Feeling like a sh*t parent because you can imagine these suggestions would work for the parents of the other kids this therapist works with.
The list goes on.
So now you’re stuck. Your kid has built a relationship with an awesome adult who has a ton of training in working in the mental health field and so you have to wait… and wait… and wait… to see if that relationship will heal your relationship with your child.
But the truth is, Highly Sensitive Children need much more support than weekly therapy can provide. Parents need direct strategies to make feelings talk fun and not just a thing you do when you’re talking your kid down from a ledge. And this doesn’t have to take the years that Highly Sensitive Children often spend in therapy.
Spoiler alert: I get calls from parents in my private practice weekly where their child has been to the same therapist for 2+ years with no change… or little change. It breaks my heart to think of how long parents have to wait to find the right solution for their child, which is why I branched out into parent coaching.
So, if you haven’t already figured it out, I’ve got a solution that will set you on a path to finally eliminating those meltdowns that other professionals tell you to ‘ride it out’ or ‘medicate.’ That means you can take that step at any time.
Today.
Tomorrow.
This step is not for you if you’re going to see how it goes for the next 6 months with the therapist you found by calling the number on the back of your insurance card. It’s also not for you if you want me to talk about sugarplums and rainbows. I will not placate this problem because the situation is not going to solve itself by waiting til your kid is 18.
Highly Sensitive Children have a much higher likelihood of failing to launch. I know you have better plans for your basement than setting up a room for a 25 year old.
So, if you’re thinking you need more support so that you don’t just talk about feelings after your child decompresses, or when procrastinating bedtime, or is just plain overwhelmed for the 700th time that day, reach out for a parent support call here:
