AboutPatricia Ireland-Williams Expertise I am a retired K-12 Public School Principal (23 years), a teacher and counselor(8 years) and an educational consultant. I can help parents with questions about how the system works, provide ideas on how to solve school issues or assist teachers in coping with the plethera of stressors they face. I am currently an educational consultant and have served on the State of Arizona Solutions Team.
Experience B.A. Secondary Education
M.A. in Counseling
M.A.+ Administration
Question If a child is acting out in a session and the parent is present. Should the counseling say, to the child I will be back when you calm down or allow the mother to handle the child.
Answer Dear Ruth,
If a parent and child was with me for a counseling session and the child was out of control I would not leave but ask the parent to take the child out of the room and gain control then return when they were ready to focus on the counseling session. If they are coming to you for help they need to be ready to do the work. You simply cannot accomplish what you need with a child misbehaving.
By the way, at the beginning of any counseling session you should establish "norms" or guidelines like "today we are going to work on the area of communication" "we only have a short period of time in which to do this work"......."I will show respect when you are speaking by listening quietly and attentively and I ask that you and your child do the same".
Best wishes in gaining control of this situation, Ruth.
