Research shows that active parental engagement strengthens parent-child bonds and improves children’s mental, physical, and cognitive health. Effective parenting practices include active listening, validating emotions, and practicing empathy, all of which create a supportive environment where children can develop healthy coping mechanisms. Psychologist Mirisse Foroughe developed Emotion-Focused Therapy for Youth (EFT-Y), which strengthens the parent-child bond through collaborative emotional understanding and guides families in developing healthy coping mechanisms.
Mental health issues in children often manifest as changes in sleeping habits, declining academic performance, and increased emotional dysregulation. Recognizing these early signs is crucial for intervention. Unmet emotional needs can lead to behavioral problems and difficulties managing emotions. However, a significant barrier exists: parents must address their own emotional needs to effectively support their children. Krzysztof Błażejewski, a Poland-based EFT-Y clinician, emphasizes this using a Polish proverb: “Even Solomon cannot pour from an empty vessel.” He explains that if parents haven’t experienced emotional support themselves, they struggle to provide it to children. Therefore, “the first goal is to ‘pour’ these qualities into the parent so they can experience them firsthand and then embody them.”
EFT-Y differs from traditional behavioral approaches by prioritizing understanding and transforming emotional dynamics underlying behaviors rather than using rewards and consequences. Parents learn to recognize and respond to their child’s emotional needs, transforming patterns of communication that contribute to distress. Beyond therapeutic settings, parents can foster good mental health by establishing daily routines prioritizing emotional connection, such as shared meals or one-on-one time. Modeling healthy emotional expression and coping strategies, and creating a home environment where open communication is encouraged, play pivotal roles in children’s mental health development.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://us.headtopics.com/news/parents-who-embrace-their-influence-can-improve-their-78747245