Therapeutic Notes: Parenting Problems

Anybody else overly consumed with wanting the best for their adult children? Reality is they have to want the best for themselves. You can’t “will” it upon them. My fear is their best is not my best! But why does that bother me so much? 2am thoughts! Why did I wake up with this on my mind? I also miss my Mista! – Chatting with San

Making Art Activates Brain's Reward Pathway – Drexel Study | Now ...

What type of parent do you have, are you experiencing any transference?

  • Acknowledge feelings for their wanting to “heal child” this is a lot of wisdom and a lot of care.
  • Mention that kids don’t always share with parents as some may be difficult- allow them a range of feelings, and space.
  • Let parents know they can talk to you during normal business hours if it’s not an emergency.
  • Kid needs to be hospitalized – ask how they dealt with this in the past. What are the warning signs they need to be taken to emergency room?

How do you deal with parents who want you to be available to child anytime?

  • Safety plan: ie. “Your child seems to overwhelm you.” Parent said another therapist did it, ask how that helped. Summarize what parents said.

Advice from a clinical supervisor Stay flexible- as you get to know your clients and what makes them tick, be careful not to “pigeonhole” them based on information about their culture, religion, family background, spirituality, socioeconomic status, etc. Avoid stereotypes. Be open minded. This allows the social worker to work with a wide variety or range of clients. Clients often feel, “if the social worker accepts me, then I must be okay.”Disclaimer: My blog is to be used for general information, inspirational, and motivational purposes. I share things that I’ve learnt and experienced.  In case of need, do seek help from a professional in the relevant field.

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Vacation Plans

Comical Explanation

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Spoiled Kindness

Random Kindness - Jason T Smith

Reading the journal entry  “Edible Donations”  – Just those two words made me smile and brought back a flood of memories, but it also became another topic of clinical supervision. The issue was I am an avid gardener. I would bring various bowls of fruits and vegetables to the clinic and set them on the coffee bar. I would also on occasion bring premade brownies when I caught the mix on sale for $1. My philosophy is we can all use a little joy in our day. Most of the clients appreciated my kind gestures. Then there were those with entitlement issues requesting certain fruits and vegetables, and then there were a few who stole whole pans of brownies and bowls of fruit (yes, including the pan and the bowl). My question was “When is enough, enough?” I am unsure what wisdom my supervisor gave me at the time but knowing a younger me I am sure I just stopped bringing treats to the clinic. When clients inquired why, I probably said, “One apple spoiled the bunch.” Albeit if a student asks me this question, I would tell them it’s time to stop bringing treats, and possibly look for a new job when:

  • You always watch what you say if you find yourself saying “How would this sound? How would this be interpreted? Was this statement too far off the other views around the table?” If you can’t be ‘authentic’ in your job, it’s time to reevaluate.
  • You’ve got serious trust issues you should never feel pressured to comply with activities that could hurt your career or make you feel bad.
  • Disrespect This can come in many forms, but in this case, I mean someone who mistreats you through constant verbal abuse, mental games, and degradation. If you are in a position where clients complain and attempt to make you look like a fool, then it is time to reconsider your behavior and possible position.
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Strength

What is your greatest strength? My greatest strength is my ability to recognize blind spots, see and hear thing that most ignore, and spot pathways beyond well-worn trails. – Michelle Norris


Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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Client Notification

Newsprint | Sappi Global

An image of one of our clients was taken and used in last week’s homeless newspaper. I want to discuss if it’s appropriate to bring this to her attention and discuss with her how she felt about the issues of no name burials.  – Reviewing my clinical supervision notes. I am unsure what advice my clinical supervisor gave me, but I am sure it most likely involved boundaries. I did find an entry in my career journal that read

“The client was thrilled; she had no idea they would use her image or her words to depict the story. This makes me wonder if the paper exploiting this population. _________ didn’t seem to mind and we had a wonderful discussion about no name burials- her passion and advocacy is truly alive. She did inquire if I would purchase her a few copies. I informed her of the boundaries of our relationship but encouraged her to call the paper and/or to go their offices and request a copy or two. After all, it was her image that was currently on the front page helping sell the latest edition.”

Today if a student were to ask me this question, I would ask them why is it important to bring this to a client’s attention. What were they hoping for? I have learned as a clinical licensed therapist it is always good to check in with yourself to make sure one doesn’t have alternative motives, as interactions with clients should always be about clients.

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