Parents and caretakers who bring their children to see me to address boundary challenges quickly realize that I’m a huge advocate of also involving them in the therapy process. This is partly because caretakers tend to underestimate their ability to support their littles. Confidence can falter, especially in moments of dysregulation for both caretaker and child. And at a certain point, the focus becomes, “Please fix my child’s bad behavior.”

While it’s true that objective, professional support is valuable and can help turn things in a positive direction, it’s also true that parents play an essential role in implementing and maintaining positive change - otherwise, it’s unlikely that any meaningful shifts will stick. My role as the child’s therapist includes serving as a teacher and guide to the family, first and foremost helping caretakers look beneath their child’s behaviors.