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Parent Counseling

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Parenting – Joyous But Stressful! Therapy for Parents Can Help.

Parenting brings moments of joy and fulfillment, but it can also be challenging, stressful, and bewildering. Parenting therapy offers support to regain peace of mind, manage stress, and regain a sense of control. 
 
None of us received a parenting manual. As a psychologist I, Dr. Myra Bernecker, can assist you, whether your child is a toddler, teenager, or young adult. Today, all parents grapple with balancing demanding work schedules and busy family lives.
 
Parenting is stressful for everyone. As parents, you juggle work responsibilities, rush to pick up tired children from school and activities, prepare nutritious meals (while managing allergies or special dietary needs), and navigate sibling conflicts.
 
 While managing all these responsibilities, staying connected with your spouse or partner can feel challenging. It’s common for parents, even the most dedicated ones, to experience moments of frustration and reactiveness. These intense moments can leave parents feeling frustrated, guilty, and inadequate. In response, children and teens may feel unheard, rushed, controlled, angry, or confused.
 
Often when giving therapy for parents, caregivers come to me for help because they are ready to:
 
  • Respond with more patience and calm.
  • Have a peaceful start to their work day.
  • Talk to their kid so he/she/they will listen.
  • Have their kid to help out in the morning instead of chasing/nagging him or her to get things done.
  • Have more loving moments with their child
  • Have more peace in household

Common Issues Discussed In Therapy for Parents

Every parent has their own set of unique experiences. We will work on whatever is important to you. Some common topics and issues that come up in therapy for parent sessions are:

  • Anxiety with being a new parent
  • Anxiety with being a parent to 2+ kids
  • Feelings of shame, fatigue, or helplessness
  • Feeling ineffective
  • Coping with defiant behaviors
  • Dealing with meltdowns
  • Overcoming procrastination
  • What to do when kids are pushing your buttons
  • Feelings of anger and frustration
  • What to do when you need help
  • Parental reactivity
  • How to better understand your children and what they are trying to tell you
  • Different parenting styles
  • Dealing with your own inner child work

 

You Are In A Relationship With Your Child

Using a reflective parenting approach during intense moments can effectively enhance your child’s resilience and strengthen your connection with them.

How It Works

What To Expect In Session

The initial consultation is with both parents, ideally together and in-person. We start by getting to know each other, going over what is happening that has brought them in and what they hope to work on. I gather a thorough family history, paying close attention to early childhood relationships and patterns that may be impacting the family. 

My Approach to Therapy for Parents

I work from a reflective parenting, insight oriented, and attachment-based approach to better understand what might be happening underneath both the child’s and parent’s behaviors and focus on important routines and structures to improve relationships.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is Sandplay Therapy?

Sandplay therapy is a non-verbal therapuetic intervention that uses a sandtray and various miniature figurines and objects to create three-dimensional scenes that reflect and individual's thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Dora Kalff was influenced by Jungian psychology and Eastern philosphies and developed sandplay as a method for accessing the unconsious, faciliating self expression, insight, integration, and promoting psychological healing. Sandplay allows patients to  express emotions and expereinces that may be too difficult to articulate in words. The use of miniatures allows for rich, symbolic, and metaphorical representations of the patient's psyche.  The sandtray's boundaries provide a safe space for projecting and navigating inner experiences. The process of creating sandtrays reveal deep, often unconsious aspects of they psyche, which allows patients to attain greater self-awareness and emotional healing. Suitable for all ages, sandplay therapy is particularly beneficial for trauma survivors, offering a gentle, indirect means of addressing difficult experiences. This imaginative, non-verbal therapy taps into the unconscious mind, promoting healing and personal growth through symbolic play.

What is play therapy?

Play therapy is a specific type therapy that is designed for kids under 12 years old that helps kids feel better, have improved relationships and behaviors through play. For kids in this age range, playing comes naturally and they are often better at playing than talking. Play therapy gives kids the opportunity to explore, solve problems, and work out difficulties through play. Kids act out the issues that they are upset about and tell their story sybolically through play. I use a sandtray and carefully selected games, toys, art materials, dolls, and figures to help kids open up, learn skills, and process their thoughts and emotions through play. In addition play fosters creativity and imagination. Reserach on play has shown that play positively impacts intellectual ability. By expressing their thoughts and feelings freely and safely verbally or through their play, kids begin to understand themselves and start to feel better. 

What are your hours?

Mon. 12:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. (more hours in the Fall)

Wed. 9:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Thurs. 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

Fri. 8:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. (no longer offered in Fall)

How long are your sessions?

The initial consultation/evaluation is 90 minutes. Therapy sessions are 45 minutes and scheduled at a weekly frequency. Parent collaterals are 45 minutes and scheduled at a monthly frequency or more depending on your needs. Consultation sessions with clinicians are also 45 minutes and are scheduled as frequently as appropriate to suit your needs. Depending on your situation or at various times during your treatment, we may determine to increase that frequency to twice a week or more. 

What are your fees, cancellation, and rescheduling policy?

As a licensed psychologist, my fee for an initial evaluation/consultation is $500 for 90 mintues. You may also schedule a free 20-minute consultation using the contact form at the bottom of this page. 

Ongoing psychotherapy, play therapy, parenting therapy, and consultation is $250 for 45-minutes.

I require a 7-day notice for cancelling or rescheduling appointmets. 

Please Note: Under the No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.

Do you accept insurance?

No. But after working with many insurance companies for nearly 20 years, I understand how complex navigating insurance can be. It’s important for you to understand your benefits. I work with patients who want to use their Health Savings Account (HSA) or their out-of-network benefits. Through my secure patient portal, you will have access to all your invoices at any time. Each invoice includes all the information you need to submit any out of network claims. My patients have told me that this access was easy, convenient, and much appreciated.

What types of payment do you accept?

I accept cash, checks, credit cards, and HSA credit cards. 

What do I do if I have an emergency?

Call 911 to go to your nearest emergency room.

If you live in Marin county, you can call the Mobile Crisis Response Team Mon-Sat 1pm-9pm 415-473-6392 or Psychiatric Emergency Services 415-473-6666.

Other resources include:

  • Crisis line 800-273-8255,
  • S.F. Suicide Prevention: (415) 781-0500
  • Warmline: PhoneSupportfor Peers (7 days a week 1pm-9pm) 415-459-6330
How do I know when it’s time to seek help?

A good time to consider seeking professional help is when the strategies you’ve tried are not having much of an effect. If you or your child’s issues significantly interfere with school, work, family, or social life, and if you or your child has experienced symptoms on most days for a month or more, and you or your child is open, curious, and committed, then it is a good time to seek help. 

How can therapy help?

Adults, teens and kids often experience great relief when they express themselves fully and connect well with a trusted therapist. Success may vary depending on the particular issue addressed, how well you or your child is open, honest, and uses the process and feedback, and the extent to which what is learned is practiced outside the sessions. Some of the benefits from therapy include: attaining greater awareness, insight, and deeper understanding for yourself or your child that leads to improved relationships, self esteem, confidence, learning new ways to solve problems at work, school, or in your family, improving communication and listening skills, changing maladaptive behavior patterns

Do you work with kids or adults?

I see both! I see bright, high achieving children and teens who are anxious, grieving, or have low self-esteem. Children and teens do not always know what is happening and have a hard time verbalizing what is going on. I also see adults for individual therapy, parenting therapy, and clinical consultation. Many bright, high achieving adults who worry, have family issues or patterns that continue to challenge them, are coping with a difficult loss, or are experiencing a new or unexpected change find it helpful working with me.

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