Parenting counseling provides emotional and practical support for navigating parenthood.
Working with a therapist can help you change the way you communicate, manage your emotions, and deal with major life events.
Depending on your goals, you might meet with your therapist on your own or with your partner or child.
National data show what most parents already know: Raising a child can be challenging [1]. If you want help nurturing a healthier connection with your child, consider parenting counseling.
Parenting counseling empowers parents to develop the skills and self-awareness to improve their family dynamic. It’s a chance to address your own challenges so you can respond to your child’s needs more effectively.
When parents might seek counseling
Parenting counseling is a tool to be used when and how you need it. Some parents seek support for specific concerns, while others see it as a way to develop their parenting tool kit.
Whether your child is struggling with something like bullying or you’re second-guessing your ability to be the parent you want to be, know that support is available.
Here are some common reasons why people try parenting therapy:
Your family is dealing with change. Major life events like parental divorce, the loss of a loved one, and moving house can all be tough to accept. If your child is struggling to cope with change, your family may benefit from outside help.
You struggle with emotional regulation. Parenthood can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. It’s normal to feel upset, overwhelmed, and discouraged — and then worry how those emotions impact the way you parent. Fortunately, you can always learn to manage your emotions more effectively.
Your family has trouble communicating. Therapy can help you revisit the way you talk about feelings and manage conflict. You’ll learn how to understand other perspectives and have conversations that are respectful, nonconfrontational, and age-appropriate.
Your child has behavioral challenges. Behaviors like tantrums, aggression, and defiance are tough to process. Therapy can shine a light on what’s driving those behaviors and how to manage them.
What happens in therapy for parents
Therapy is an opportunity to be honest about your parenting challenges and concerns. By sharing what's happening in your home, you can begin to identify patterns and triggers that may be fueling any issues. Therapy can also help you understand how your past experiences may influence the way you approach parenting today.
Like other therapeutic approaches, the format and duration can vary based on your goals. Many parents see progress with 6–12 sessions [2], though some families benefit from ongoing support.
During these sessions, you’ll learn practical strategies to help you address whatever is impacting your parenting. To make the most of your therapy experience, it’s important to put these skills to use between sessions.
For example, let’s say you’re dealing with parental burnout. Your therapist may suggest mindfulness exercises for challenging moments or discipline strategies to enforce stricter boundaries with your child. Applying these skills to everyday moments can help you work toward your goals and adjust your approach if needed.
Different types of parenting counseling
Different types of parenting counseling address different needs and preferences. So, it may be worth trying a couple different styles to see what works best for you.
Individual parenting counseling
Individual sessions are an opportunity to work one on one with your therapist. This is your safe space to share what feels hard right now and discover new strategies to help you cope. The goal is to develop the clarity and confidence to build a stronger connection with your child.
Individual parenting counseling may be a good fit if you:
Want to learn new skills that are specific to your situation
Feel overwhelmed, guilty, or unsure how to navigate parts of parenthood
Want to understand how your parenting style impacts your child [3] academically, socially, and emotionally
Parenting counseling with your partner
Another option is to attend therapy sessions with your partner. This approach may be effective for parents who aren’t aligned on communication and discipline. With the support of your therapist, you can learn to understand one another’s perspective and develop a shared approach to parenting.
Parenting counseling can also be a useful tool for couples going through divorce. Together, you can learn healthy co-parenting strategies that embody your values and prioritize your child’s needs.
Family therapy
Family therapy focuses on healing your family unit. It’s been shown to improve the quality of the parent-child connection [4], as well as the way you perceive your relationship with your child.
There are several approaches to family therapy. For example, structural family therapy (SFT) focuses on setting clear boundaries to strengthen the family connection. If your child is experiencing behavioral challenges, functional family therapy [5] may be the right fit for you.
How parenting therapy benefits families
The goal of parental counseling is to improve the well-being of your family unit. With the support of your therapist, you can learn to feel more confident managing the mental and emotional load that comes with being a parent.
Other benefits of working with mental health professional include:
Strengthening your emotional connection with your child
Setting clear boundaries that create structure, safety, and security
Developing the tools to understand and manage your emotions more effectively
Learning practical parenting strategies, such as active listening and positive reinforcement
Understanding how your past and personal expectations influence your parenting style
Managing parental burnout and other mental health challenges
Next steps to starting therapy for parents
Everyone needs a little help sometimes, even parents. While it’s easy to think of therapy as a sign of failure or weakness, remember that it’s actually an investment in the health of your family.
Start by looking for a qualified mental health professional who has experience with parenting, co-parenting, or family relationships. It’s also worth contacting your health insurance plan to discuss cost, coverage, and in-network provider options.
From there, find time to reflect on your biggest challenges and what you’d like to change. You don’t need a set agenda, but this type of insight can help your provider support your goals.
Reflect on these questions to start:
“What are your biggest parenting challenges?”
“Do you have specific concerns about your child’s needs?”
“Why are you deciding to seek help now?”
“What are you hoping to gain from the experience?”
The care you need, when you need it
Learn how Rula can support your mental health journey
Progress often shows up in small moments. A child feels safer sharing their feelings, disagreements become less intense, or parents and children reconnect more easily after conflict. These changes may seem small, but they're meaningful signs of growing trust and connection.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Clinical reviewer
Find care with Rula
Parenting counseling can make a meaningful difference in how you connect with your family. With the support of your therapist, you can learn to set boundaries, change the way you communicate, and feel more confident in your abilities. Whether you’re looking for individual or family therapy, know that you’re not alone.
At Rula, we’re here to help you feel better. Rula makes it easy to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who takes your insurance. That way, you don’t have to choose between great care and a price you can afford.
Rula patients pay about $15 per session with insurance, and 93% say they feel better after getting care through Rula. We have 21,000+ providers, and appointments are available as soon as tomorrow. We’re here to help you take the next step — wherever you are in your mental health journey.
References
- Parenting in America Today https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/01/24/parenting-in-america-today/
- The Use of Time Limits in Brief Psychotherapy: A Comparison of Six-Session, Twelve-Session, and Unlimited Treatment with Families https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1545-5300.1980.00377.x
- The Impact of Parenting Style on Children’s Educational Outcomes in the United States https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10834-015-9444-5
- Improvements in the quality of the parent-child relationship following treatment with an integrated family approach https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1377100/full
- Functional Family Therapy for families of youth (age 11‐18) with behaviour problems https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6464845/
Alex Bachert
Alex Bachert is a freelance copywriter and mental health advocate. Since earning her masters degree in public health, she has focused her career on creating informative content that empowers people to prioritize their health and well-being. Alex has partnered with organizations like Ro, WellTheory, and Firsthand, and her work has been recognized by the Digital Health Association.
When she’s not writing about mental health, Alex is usually playing pickleball, meeting with her local board of health, or enjoying time with her three kids.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Having faced challenges like childhood abuse, neglect, and the loss of her father to suicide, Brandy Chalmers is deeply passionate about providing compassionate care. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and Registered Play Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy.
Brandy also teaches at a university, sharing her expertise with future mental health professionals. With over a decade of experience in settings like inpatient care and private practice, she specializes in helping clients with perfectionism, trauma, personality disorders, eating disorders, and life changes.
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Members of Rula’s clinical leadership team and other expert providers contribute to all published content, offering guidance on themes and insights based on their firsthand experience in the field. Every piece of content is thoroughly reviewed by a clinician before publishing.
