By Zahid Akhtar
COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health conditions of children worldwide. The drastic changes in their daily routines, isolation from friends, uncertainties about the future, and potential fear of the virus itself contributed to increased anxiety, stress, or depression among children. While parents were struggling through job losses and decreased salary, they could not take active steps to address these issues. Neither an open dialogue was initiated to know about their kids’ feelings, nor they were able to maintain positive routines and provide a sense of safety and normality.
While we all agree that the need for Child Counselling has drastically increased and few parents have reached out for professional counselling or mental health services, it is still limited to few educated parents. As always, most parents continue to ignore these conditions and even if they agree, they get their kids counselled. The other significant aspect to understand is that even ‘Parents need Counselling.’ You cannot just blame kids for their bad mental health issues, knowing the fact that they are overburdened with homework’s, multiple tuitions, and sports coaching etc.
Parent counselling is much essential in shaping children’s lives as it holds more significance than child counselling. This is because, parents are crucial in guiding and influencing their children’s development. By engaging in counselling, parents can address their own issues and enhance their parenting skills, thereby creating a supportive and nurturing environment for their children. Counselling enables parents to gain a deeper understanding of their emotions, past experiences, and parenting styles. It also empowers them to identify and resolve unresolved conflicts or traumas that might impact their ability to parent effectively.
Through counselling sessions, parents can also learn effective communication techniques, discipline strategies, and stress management skills, which in turn positively impact their relationship with their children.
Furthermore, parent counselling can effectively address various issues like divorce, grief, or family dynamics that may be adversely affecting the family unit. By seeking the support of professional counsellors, parents can navigate through these challenges and provide a stable and loving environment for their children to thrive.
Therefore, the presence of mental health professionals, life coaches, and counselling agencies plays a significant role in breaking the stigma related to mental health. They not only provide needed support and treatment but also promote awareness and understanding about mental health conditions. Their work helps to educate the public, reduce misconceptions and fears, and foster an environment where people feel more comfortable seeking help for their mental health issues. This is immensely helpful in changing societal attitudes towards mental health and making it as recognized and considered as physical health.
Zahid Akhtar
Life Coach & Counsellor
www.onelife.net.in
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