St. Louis Parent Support and Coaching
While we love working with your kids, we also know that parents have their own individual, emotional, and deeper needs underneath the surface.
And these sometimes get pushed to the back burner, especially when you've been so focused on helping your child through a rough patch. So, we're excited to announce that Brandi Wilson, MA LPC, is now offering virtual parent support sessions!
Brandi, tell us a little bit about your background in working with parents of anxious kids and teens.
Brandi Wilson, MA LPC
I began my work with parents and young adults during my time as an eating disorder therapist at a treatment facility.
During my time there, I conducted weekly family sessions, groups on relationship education, and included parent-coaching when needed. Family therapy consisted of me supporting parents in understanding their children beyond their disorder, along with supporting clients in finding newer ways to connect and communicate with their parents.
I know that at times anxiety and other mental health disorders can create disharmony in parent child relationships, and so, the focus of my work is to support parents in growing closer to their children through education and skill building that goes beyond “just breathing.”
What do parent support sessions with you look like?
Much like the work I do with clients, sessions look like an open space to discuss challenges that impact the functioning of the relationship. I understand that parents are human and don’t have all of the answers (no one does), but my aim is to provide a clarifying approach that assists with the parent not only understanding their child's needs more clearly but also understanding their own needs and challenges.
Sessions will focus on parents identifying current parenting strategies and responses that are working, along with those that aren’t making a difference. We’ll also include parenting education and explore how certain disorders impact the development and maturation of your child’s brain. Our big goal is teaching you strategies to help your children and teens with self-regulation; strategies that will help them well into adulthood.
What research did you use to create your four session evidence-based parenting program, Parent Coaching Using the Integrated Mind?
Learn more about our parent support program here.
Along with my experience and training in attachment work, I utilize a lot of information from neuropsychologists, specifically Dan Seigle and Tina Payne, in addition to attachment theorists such as Mary Ainsworth and Patricia Crittendon.
Most therapists pull from many different theories and perspectives because human development is complex and requires shifting lenses to fully understand the people we are working with, overall the model is based on developmental psychology.
Which is better, the one time 60 minute session and evaluation, or the four 45 minute sessions using the Integrated Mind modules?
I would recommend parents attend additional sessions if they feel they would need follow up discussions or continued support. Often, when parents shift their parenting approach, there will be testing behaviors or feelings of confusion, overwhelm, or anger connected to those big changes. It’s as though the child is trying to understand what is happening as well and wondering if it can be trusted, so it’s important that parents feel comfortable with sharing their own uncertainty with a provider.
What can parents expect to leave with after working with you?
Photo by Jeff Miller on Unsplash
You can expect some clarity around understanding your child’s communication strategies and underlying needs, along with skills and tangible interventions to have more peaceful parenting experiences. I hope you also leave with a sense of understanding of how your experiences and upbringing might impact your reactions in parenting.
What general tips do you have for parents of anxious, angry, and overwhelmed kids and teens?
Understand the importance of self-regulation and know your own triggers. We pass down our biology, and if we are more successful and regulate our own emotions we are less likely to be overwhelmed by others including our children.
When would you recommend that a parent consider individual counseling for themselves or their child in addition to the parent support sessions?
I’d recommend this for many, if not all, parents! It is so important to understand how our emotions can unknowingly enable certain behaviors in our children. It’s also important for parents to be human first, because I think it creates healthier connections with your children.
Parent coaching and support in St. Louis
Parent support sessions may be right for you if you feel at a loss with your kid. You’ve tried so many strategies to help them calm down, but they always seem so easily overwhelmed, and honestly, a lot of the time, you’re right there with them.
We want you to have the strategies you need so that you can stay calm and in charge, and you know how to best redirect your child or teen during their most challenging behaviors and extreme emotions.
We also know how important therapist fit is when it comes to making real, lasting change. That’s why we’re offering 60-minute intensives with Brandi, so that you can try out a session and see how it feels.
Curious to learn more about parent support sessions? Contact Compassionate Counseling St. Louis to set up a free 15-minute phone consult. We’ll talk about what’s going on and best next steps - and if we’re not the right fit, we’ll connect you with other wonderful St. Louis-based support!
Compassionate Counseling St. Louis provides specialized anger management and anxiety therapy in St. Louis for kids, teens, and college students and support for their parents. We work in Clayton, MO and serve kids, teens, and college students throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Ladue, University City, Town and Country, Webster Groves, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood.