Therapy Matters: Hope springs eternal

By Director of Mental Wellness Gail Byers

 

Community LINC provides counseling for adults and children. 

 

A major challenge is addressing the stigma of mental health being synonymous with being perceived as ‘being crazy.’  So you can only imagine the response of parents when they are told their child will be receiving counseling services.

 

As a result, we also focus on developing relationships with parents via parenting classes and access to the respective child therapists for guidance as well as crisis intervention.  This has been instrumental as a catalyst of change of the perception, the value and acceptance of mental health.  It is about laying seeds, seeds that educate, increase understanding and promote overall well-being. 

 

The fact is that in this current society our children are not always ‘seen’…we don’t take into consideration that whatever lifestyle we as parents are leading, negative or positive, is the exact same lifestyle our children are exposed to.  We often focus on developing coping and social skills for adults, not acknowledging that our children need the same skill sets.

 

Our children are sometimes not seen until they ‘act out’ which is how children communicate when they do not have the tools to express themselves appropriately. 

 

Community LINC recognized and addressed the mental health needs of the children served. 

 

So far, the children have welcomed the experience of being in counseling.  It is certainly a win-win situation.  The child has someone who has their undivided attention and listens to them.  Listening is an expression of love.

 

This is a tremendous support to the parent, the parent who is in the process of establishing or re-establishing his/her stability. 

 

When the children come into counseling the therapist always talks to them about confidentiality. 

One parent reported that she asked her son what he and his therapist talked about and his response was “that’s between me and my therapist.”  Out of the mouths of babes. 

 

These positive experiences will encourage families to seek mental health services beyond Community LINC.

 

Why, because the myth has been dispelled.