Being a parent can be tough. Nobody can prepare you to be the perfect parent and unfortunately, it can be one of the hardest roles you will have to undertake.

Children do not come with a set of instructions and while there is plenty of information available on the best way to raise your child, the reality of being a parent can be daunting. One of the most difficult aspects is the expectation we put on ourselves to raise the ‘perfect’ children and to be the ‘perfect’ parents.

The fact is that as human beings we all have limitations and we all have difficulties. We are far from perfect. That’s why many parents can benefit from the supportive hand of parenting counsellors.

For some parents, therapy may be about questioning their own childhood experiences and the parenting they received themselves. For others, it may be a case of struggling to deal with a specific issue such as bullying, or toilet training. Others may need help addressing their emotional or relationship needs that can make parenting particularly challenging or simply finding ways of communicating better as a family.

Most forms of therapy will be able to provide parents with the space to talk about their most intimate thoughts and feelings concerning parenthood and allow them the opportunity of further understanding why they parent as they do, and what strategies can be put in place to aid them with the things they want to change.