by Kathleen
Krol, MSS, LCSW, RPT-S
Being a parent and raising a family has
never been easy. Today’s parents, like those of past
generations, face many challenges.
Whereas, some parenting issues have been around for some time, today’s modern
world presents many unique, complex challenges of its own. What are these
challenges and how can a family be resilient in the face of them? This article
will explore some options.
There has been for some time an explosion
of knowledge readily available at one’s fingertips, with everyone and anyone
giving advice on how to effectively parent and improve one’s relationships. Dr.
Phil is a well-known name whose business is offering this advice. As part of
this trend, many people are also diagnosing children now, so any child with
behavior problems must have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or be Oppositional
Defiant and need medication. As a parent, how do you sort through what
information is valid and going to be beneficial to your child/teen and what
will be detrimental and harmful?
Advances in technology not only bombard us with information but our children as
well. The world of children and teens often revolves around this technology, connecting
through Facebook, Twitter, and chat rooms, making them vulnerable to cyber
bullying and exposing them to the latest unhealthy fads like “cinnamon” and
self-harming sites. Parents may find it challenging to know how to connect with
their teen who may prefer constantly texting with friends – or find it hard to
find stimulating enough activities for a child hooked on videos and games.
Even if you are fortunate not to have
these concerns, there are still the typical parenting issues that arise at
different developmental stages such as sibling rivalry, school separation anxiety,
peer pressure and bullying. Or perhaps an adjustment to the addition of a new
family member, changes with home or school, family separations, divorce or becoming
a blended family.
Parents may also feel challenged by how
not to repeat what they didn’t like about how they were parented or find it
difficult to handle well-intended but unwanted feedback from extended family
members. Yes, being a parent and raising a family has never been easy and still
isn’t!
Wait, there is hope! Resilience in the
face of challenges is something you do possess! Resilience in dealing with
these many challenges involves trusting in yourself, recognizing what has got
you through past obstacles, using experience as a learning opportunity,
levering the resources and strengths of your family, accessing your support
system, and, most importantly, patience and kindness with yourself when you
feel like you have failed.
Resilience also includes knowing when you
don’t have the answer, recognizing the need for support, guidance or expert
advice, and taking the steps necessary to get the help you need. The Resiliency
Center can provide the support, guidance and expert advice families need to
feel resilient again – through practitioners who offer counseling, educational
and holistic interventions. Our practitioners are genuine, caring, and really
committed to a strengths-based approach to helping parents and their families.
Practitioners can help you narrow down
and implement strategies that will work most effectively for you as a parent or
couple, assist you in identifying family patterns, and helping to normalize your
experience. They can support you and your family through the process of
transition and change and assist you and your child or teen in managing
problems through solution-oriented outcomes and coping skills. Our wellness
education programs and community offerings will teach you how to better take
care of yourself, whether as a parent, partner or both.
The family-oriented services offered at
The Resiliency Center include: family therapy, child and teen counseling,
Play-Family Therapy, teen groups, parent coaching, and mindful parenting
classes. For new parents, mom’s groups and infant massage education classes are
offered. Couples in the early
stages of relationship formation may find premarital counseling beneficial. For
relationship transitions, we offer pre-baby counseling, couples counseling to
renew your relationship, as well as counseling on navigating the difficulty of
separation and divorce. A divorce support group offers community and strategies
for resilience. If you are seeking overall life satisfaction, informative and
restorative workshops or classes are offered periodically along with regularly
scheduled classes like Qi Gong, meditation, and laughter yoga. We look forward
to supporting you on your journey, wherever you are.
This article was written by Kathleen
Krol, LCSW, RPT-S, who is an independent practitioner at the Resiliency Center
with over eleven years post-graduate training and experience. She is a Licensed
Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist/Supervisor with
specialization in Contextual Family Therapy, Play Therapy, Sand Tray Therapy
and EMDR (for anxiety, self-esteem and trauma issues). She offers individualized assessment of
a parent/family needs, practical solutions and interventions, parent coaching,
family therapy and individual child and teen therapy. For a free personalized
consultation to see if her services would be a good fit, contact her at kasiakrol17@verizon.net or 215-289-3101, #1.
