Parent Consultation

Parent Consultation is for situations where the parents are primarily the ones seeking the change, or when the child is very young.

Parent consultation is when I meet with one or both parents to teach psychological techniques that should help with their child or teen. Many parents are surprised to hear that this type of therapy even exists, or that it could work. However, once I explain it to them it becomes easier to understand: Would you rather I try to use the techniques with your child for 45 minutes a week, or would you rather take the tools home with you and use them every day? Therapy following this model is still very child-focused, meaning that your child is still the “patient,” even though I mostly talk to the parents. To expect results, make sure you are following the recommendations from each visit as precisely as you can. Usually, these recommendations are tried-and-true, and have been used successfully by countless families before you. I wouldn’t tell you to do it if I didn’t have reason to believe it would work!

Parent consultation is often new to parents who have tried therapy before, so here are some things to expect:

  • Parents are the main participants, even though the child is the intended “target” for treatment.

  • Some of the techniques might take significant time out of your day, so some creative problem-solving and priority re-ordering might be necessary.

  • Parents are sometimes shocked to discover that their own behavior needs to change before they can expect their child to change. This is normal, and not a problem!

  • Taking notes during visits might be helpful, since it is a more technique-focused and didactic approach than traditional therapy.

Here are just a few types of concerns that respond well to parent consultation:

  • Anger

  • Not listening

  • Aggressive or destructive behaviors

  • ADHD

  • School avoidance

  • Low motivation

Parent consultation approaches have many names, including Parent Management Training, Behavioral Parent Training, Parent Behavior Therapy, and others. These treatments are often the best available for the concerns listed above, and have strong scientific support. In other words, they’ve been tested, and they work! Many therapists don’t use approaches like this simply out of lack of familiarity, since the vast majority of therapists went to school to learn individual therapy.