Parenting is a complex task that can be challenging, especially when dealing with teenagers in a world that has moved away from Christian values. Despite loving their children unconditionally, many parents find themselves exhausted, frustrated, and confused about how to handle poor behaviour. This confusion can lead to a range of emotions, including helplessness, anger, guilt, shame, confusion, vulnerability and hurt with at times feeling isolated from our children. Some common examples of poor behaviour might include conflict, verbal or emotional abuse, tantrums, stonewalling, constant tears, shutting down, refusal and not following through with instructions.

 

Christian parenting involves modelling Christ-like behaviour, teaching and reinforcing biblical values, encouraging spiritual growth, disciplining and boundary-setting with with love and understanding, thus building strong family relationships. It is a lifelong commitment that requires dedication, patience, sacrifice, commitment, and a willingness to seek God's guidance and wisdom.  It might not ‘feel’ ‘good’ all the time, but parenting at times can be tough; it’s a job our children need for their parents to follow through with despite the hardship or confusion.  They need your guidance and reassurance to find their way again. 

 

Christian counselling can help parents therefore, in a safe and non-judgmental environment, navigate the challenges of parenting by providing guidance and support, teaching more efficient parenting skills, and exploring negative parenting conflict cycles to understand you and your child’s emotional responses better.    The collaborative process can provide parents with new insights and perspectives, enabling them to raise their children with greater clarity and purpose on their spiritual path.   

 

Michelle Barratt, a Clinical Psychologist and clinical director of our Christian therapy practice, promotes the use of Christian therapeutic care for individuals, adolescents, and families to work in a collaborative process to identify their strengths, limitations to that point and weaknesses so that parents can build a better, stronger more resilient family to weather any storms that might come their way.  .

 

Fundamentally, Christian Counselling for Parents is a collaborative process that endeavours to give parents a new insight and perspective, to help them raise their children with greater clarity and purpose on their spiritual path as parents, but also to learn new ways on formulating parents that support their children navigate and develop identities that will glorify God as they mould out their purpose and meaning for their own lives in God.  

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Author: Michelle Barratt – Clinical Psychologist, and Clinical Director of Michelle Barratt Psychology, a Toowong; Brisbane , Wynnum and Manly, Redland Bay based  Clinical Psychology Practice – Promoting the Christian Therapeutic Care and Therapy for Christian individuals, adolescents and families.