Describing to a full-grown rational adult the benefits of counselling, and persuading them to engage with it, is difficult. Doing the same to a child or teenager, who has yet to fully develop rational capacities, can seem downright impossible. With the right perspective, this task can be made easier. Discover a few trick and tips concerning how to speak to your kids about counselling with Capital Choice.
Consider Set and Setting
It’s unwise to simply approach your child and expect them to hear and consider you regardless of their mental state. If your child is in a context in which they are particularly stressed, excited, anxious, or otherwise not able to truly engage with the ideas you are looking to discuss, approaching them with such an important topic is a bad idea.
Too often we hear of parents who bring up the idea of counselling or therapy following some crisis that has been experienced by a child. If you bring up the idea of therapy after your child has been suspended, for example, how can you expect them to perceive that as anything else but you believe them to be broken or low-value, in need of fixing? Of course they would resist professional help, because engaging in it would be seen to them as an admission that you are right.
To get the best chance of success, you need to pick a moment in which your child is in the right environment and state of mind to give proper consideration to the thought of counselling. Whatever your child is feeling when you talk to them about therapy, they are going to associate with the idea of therapy. This is why choosing a calm moment, and speaking to them when they can give proper thought to the idea, is crucial to your success.
Provide a Model
When words aren’t enough, its wise to consider the actions of those your child looks up to. Thinking about your child’s role models can open up new avenues for getting them to comfortably approach therapy.
Sometimes a role model will hold stoic values that a child will emulate, leading them to prize self-reliance and shy away from sharing problems. Through the lens of these values, your child might perceive therapy as weak.
Maybe a different role model holds values that would lead them to consider the value of entering into therapy. Thorough the eyes of this person, therapy might look different.
Your child looks up to a great many people. Friends, family, celebrities, even fictional characters. If you can get them to look at the idea of counselling thorough not their eyes, but the eyes of people they look up to, you can fundamentally challenge negative beliefs concerning therapy.
Capital Choice Youth Counselling
If you’re struggling to communicate to your child the benefits of engaging with youth counselling, understanding how best to manage set and setting, and providing new frames of reference via role models can be a great start to changing the beliefs and actions of your child through therapy.
But sometimes it still isn’t enough.
If this is the case you find yourself in, we recommend you get in touch with us. With a finer understanding of your particular situation, we can provide solutions that are tailored to you and your child.
Getting a hesitant child into counseling isn’t easy, but its made easier with Capital Choice Youth Counselling. If you’re experiencing trouble getting your child into therapy, get in touch today.