The Impact of Parental Involvement in Child Therapy Sessions
Parental involvement plays a crucial role in the success of child therapy sessions.
At Newbridge Therapy Center, we believe that empowering parents to actively participate in their child's therapeutic process leads to positive outcomes. In this blog post, we will explore the profound impact of parental involvement in child therapy sessions and the benefits it brings to both the child and the entire family.
Children participate in therapy for a variety of concerns and are able to reach therapeutic goals, at times, without parent participation. However, as the parent-child relationship is one of the most important relationships that children have, the importance of parental participation cannot be dismissed. In fact, although a child may meet their objectives in therapy without parents present, outcomes may be improved when parents are included in the therapeutic process. Consider the following:
A parent’s perspective is extremely important as a source of information during the initial assessment to understand the context around reported concerns, but also as an additional consultant on treatment recommendations.
A parent may be able to provide invaluable information which may not be accessible otherwise—for example, being able to identify which coping skills seem to be more helpful for their child, or which rewards seem to be more motivating.
In behavioral therapy, there are often tasks to work on in between sessions that move the patient closer to their therapeutic goals. For many children, they may be unable to maintain personal accountability on these action items, however, with a bit of additional support and motivation from their parents, they are more likely to complete tasks in between sessions. Additionally, the child may be more likely to continue use of these concepts and skills once therapy concludes.
When a child is encouraged by their parents to use the skills and concepts they learn in therapy, this normalizes the therapeutic process and can improve the relationship between child and parents.
Lastly, parental involvement can help parents to better understand their child’s perspective as the therapist facilitates conversations that increase understanding and may empower parents in continuing to advocate for their child in other settings (e.g., school, etc.).
Parental involvement is a vital component of child therapy at Newbridge Therapy Center. By actively participating in their child's therapy sessions, parents can strengthen bonds, enhance communication, extend therapy beyond the session, and become empowered advocates for their child's well-being. Together, we can create a supportive and nurturing environment that promotes the growth and development of children and families.
