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Caregivers Need Therapy, Too

By Tati Hernandez, Licensed Professional Counselor

Being a therapist, it is no surprise that I am a big advocate for therapists going to therapy. Being a therapist that predominantly works with teens, I am also a big advocate for caregivers going to therapy. I typically ask the caregivers of the teens that I work with if they have ever engaged in therapy or plan to. If not during the intake process, it’s a question that will eventually present itself during a caregiver check-in. The reason I find this question to be so important is because it allows caregiver involvement to turn into caregiver engagement.

The benefits of caregivers going to therapy include but are not limited to the following:

• Normalizing therapy for their child
• Processing how they feel about their child’s mental health and behavior
• Learning additional tools to support their child
• Identifying how unprocessed events from their childhood, youth, and/or adulthood can be affecting them and may be presenting themselves as triggers when witnessing their child struggle with mental health.

With that being said, therapy can be meaningful for anyone! If you’re a caregiver and you find yourself getting curious about how engaging in therapy may be beneficial for you, I encourage you to give it a chance. Inclusivetherapists.com is a great resource for finding a therapist. You can also ask your child’s therapist about other therapeutic resources that you may find yourself interested in. 

This is so true on so many levels. As the saying goes, you cannot help others unless you help yourself first.

Did you enjoy the above from the fantastic, Tati Hernandez? Be on the lookout for more parenting tips all summer long!

Until next time, Be Wise!