March Break Fun!

Yes I work with typical kids and the ones with special needs and autism. Development, parenting and any other challenges related to stress, life changes and other problems.

We had a wonderful special needs kids camp during March Break. Some fun photos are on the program link: www.therapeuticartsprogram.blogspot.com

Happy with your therapy sessions!

If you continue with therapy and come to the end of your work and closure, after all these tribulations and challenges in the relationship with your therapist, your life changes.  Maybe you will like your therapist again, hopefully you will respect them, and you are now feeling better. When you are working through the challenges in your life, this beautiful shift happens, life becomes more clear, simpler and you are more empowered. You feel wiser and happier. You have learned how to manage the problem, you are resolving it. New energy is flowing into your life, new creative ideas, there is more hope and joy… this is the outcome of a good therapy process. Maybe you found more peace, maybe you learned to meditate, take breaks, love yourself more. This is why you go through this relationship with the therapist and these sometimes-painful conversations and learnings, that you get better and your relationships improve, you are now in charge of your life and you are happier and overall feeling well. I wish this outcome all to my clients. I strive to get them to this place.

More challenges in a Therapeutic Relationship, Part 3.

Another reason when we may stop liking our therapist is when they have to disclose confidential material mandated by law. It is very important to know that we are informed about this at the beginning of our therapeutic relationship, there should be a signed form to help the client remember and for legal purposes. But even if the client declines to sign it, the therapist by law has to report suspected child abuse and a serious danger for the client or someone else. It is good to remember this legal rule. When disclosure happens and the client is not aware that what they said has to be reported, they may feel betrayed by a therapist. The most common examples are when there is an unsafe situation at home where the child is staying and there is a severe fighting and aggression that happens between parents. Such an incident can qualify as suspected abuse to the child. The inappropriate disciplining of a child that either physically or non-physically affects the child may also need to be reported. Unfortunately, some people are not aware of what qualifies as the abusive behaviors. They may feel surprised and hurt when therapists have to tell them that they are not only hurting their child but that they are going to be reporting it to authorities. It is not an easy part of our job. We do not choose, it is the law. Of course, the sessions notes also can be subject to subpoena by the court order which is outside of therapists control. The therapists notes should always be done in the way that would be affecting the client the least. Therefore, it is important to know what we say to our therapist. The therapist is on our side, she is there to help and she is a professional who is doing her best to help her fellow humans but she is also in in position to have to disclose sensitive materials when she is required by law.