You dreamed having a family would be filled with happy memories of birthday parties, barbecues, and baseball games.  You want to raise strong and loving children.  You want to enjoy the time that you have with your family.  You want to be a “good” parent.

Lately, it seems that life could not be further from that dream.  It is exhausting to keep up with work responsibilities, multiple children with different needs, the next ballgame, and that endless pile of laundry and dishes.  To top it all off, you feel guilty for not being the parent that you want to be for your children.

You wonder if there is any hope that your family will become the joyful and peaceful family that you imagined in your dreams.

We understand what it’s like to burn the candle at both ends.  We work with parents and families who have these problems and tell us over and over their family is falling apart and they don’t know how to get everyone back together.  You’re not alone.

 

 

Counseling for Parents and Families can help.

 

Here’s the good news…I think.  John Bradshaw, a family-systems therapy expert, found in his research that 96 percent of all families are to some degree dysfunctional, so hey, you’re in good company! But it doesn’t have to be that way.

When you get help from a professional family counselor, you can join the 4 percent of functional families.  You will create an atmosphere of trust and honesty.  You will reduce tension and stress.  Create opportunities for forgiveness and heal the damage from previous harm.

 

Common reasons for parents seeking classes or family counseling:

 

• Child has significant anxiety or depression
• Frequent or intense arguments between family members
• Feelings of guilt
• Angry or defiant child
• Resentment due to divorce, family conflict, or change of caregiver or school
• Disengaged or disconnected family members

 

Family counseling and parenting classes are about finding ways to live in community with a group of flawed people.  In our sessions, we’ll discover methods to know what your child or family members are attempting to accomplish with their negative behavior and how to work together as a unit of individual parts instead of a jumbled mess.  At Abba Healing Services, we’re trained in techniques to help you learn to watch for opportunities for growth.  We’ll coach you to communicate your needs to the family in a safe and inviting way.  We’ll uncover common sources of conflict and heal old wounds.  You’ll learn to be confident in your relationships and bring peace to your home.

 

 

We know there are things keeping you from starting parenting or family counseling.

 

I THINK WE NEED FAMILY COUNSELING, BUT MY SPOUSE DOESN’T THINK IT IS NECESSARY.

 

This is common in family counseling.  Keep in mind that how you bring up the idea is just as important as what you say when trying to make a difference in their willingness to give family counseling a try.  Here are a few tips for talking to your spouse about family counseling – give them some time to think it over without expecting an immediate answer.  Don’t demand they go to family counseling with you immediately.  If possible, you want to enter family counseling with a united front, ready to work on the family dynamics.  Allowing your partner to come to the decision to go on their own will increase the chances of that happening.

If they still refuse to come to family therapy with you, you can come to receive parenting advice on your own.  It is challenging to help your family on your own, but there are still benefits for you to learn more about your own behavior, the motivations behind your family member’s behavior, and healthy ways to respond to unhealthy habits in your family.

 

WE HAVE TRIED A LOT OF THINGS, CAN YOU REALLY HELP?

 

Yes, I am positive!

While parenting books and common advice from family, friends, or your pastor can be helpful, it helps to get an individualized approach to the specific needs that you have.  Our parenting classes and individual work with parents, highlight the specific issues that may have gone unnoticed, and provide concrete ways to make change happen right now.

 

OUR LIVES ARE TOO BUSY AND WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR FAMILY COUNSELING.

 

We know that family life is insanely busy nowadays.  Many times, both parents work…and work long hours, on top of the daily buzz of school, sports, and extracurriculars.  But if you’re experiencing family conflict that only seems to be getting worse and creates division and resentment, making time for a few hours to deal with these problems now could save you time and spare you long hours of worrying about your family.  It just demands placing a few of the other activities on hold or pushing them farther down the list for a time to create healing in your family.  Be deliberate about imagining where your family can find an hour in your week to take care of these lasting and important relationships.

 

I HEARD FAMILY COUNSELING IS REALLY EXPENSIVE.

 

Committing to family counseling is an investment, and we don’t take your commitment lightly.  But it’s also a beginning to healing your family, becoming confident, and getting peace in the home.  And we think that’s worth the investment.  Abba Healing Services has had success helping other families in the Owensboro, KY area repair brokenness, and we can help you and your family, too.  We encourage you to take a good look at your family budget as well as discuss payment options, like using HAS or FSA cards, with your family counselor.

 

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM PARENTING SERVICES OR FAMILY COUNSELING

 

At Abba Healing Services, an Owensboro KY counseling practice serving the people of Western Kentucky, we promise to get you through the chaos, frustration, and overwhelm.  We’ll guide you through the mess to help you find the answers you’ve been looking for and to help you experience peace as a family.

You’ll be amazed by the difference having a thorough, professional, and caring counselor can make in unwinding the ball of yarn around your family.  As an Owensboro counseling practice with trained parenting and family therapists, we can help you feel confident, so you’ll walk away knowing that peace is possible for your family.

 

 

Getting started with parenting and family counseling is easy:

 

1. Get in touch with Abba Healing Services to set up your first appointment by calling or online here.
2. Get connected with a parenting or family counselor you can trust.
3. Start moving past the chaos into confidence and peace.

 

As an Owensboro counseling practice, our skilled therapists also offer couples and marriage counseling, porn addiction and sex addiction treatment, and PTSD or trauma counseling.  And telehealth or online counseling is available.  We also offer mental health wellness tips on our blog.  Contact us or schedule with a parenting & family therapist Owensboro and Western Kentucky!