Does Your Child?
• Exhibit extreme negativity and high intensity?
• Exhibit high persistence and low flexibility?
• Exhibit high activity and impulsivity?

Is Your Child?
• Resistant to being patterned by adults to schedules, limits, boundaries and tasks?

Approximately 10-15% of the population shows these characteristics from birth with a high level of continuity throughout life. Many of the children in this category also have diagnoses which range from (1) attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (2) autistic spectrum disorders inclusive of pervasive developmental and asperger’s disorder (3) oppositional defiant disorder (4) bi-polar disorder and other mood disorders (5) anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (6) learning disorders (7) attachment disorders (8) fetal alcohol syndrome.

Elaine Gibson notes these issues: “adults often communicate a host of negative feelings to the child such as hostility, impatience, or bewilderment. Parents feel (1) threatened, anxious, guilty (they believe they are unconsciously rejecting the child), (2) resentful, or (3) intimidated (inadequate, lost, hopeless, and confused.)” Parents find it infinitely challenging and difficult to nurture and shepherd this child. Frequently, when families seek counseling the negative traits and behaviors are intensifying to the point that family life is totally chaotic and/or they are not meeting developmental milestones academically or socially.

Are You in a Negative Pattern with Your Child that You Cannot Seem To Get Out of or Maintain?

• Do you have values, goals and standards that produce a reaction that is counter productive to altering you child’s behavior?
• Do you have physical, mental, emotional and temperament issues that serve as roadblocks to establishing a secure attachment with your child?
• Do you have difficulty responding with patience, understanding, consistency, and loving firmness?
• Is this child creating an atmosphere of hostility in your home with other siblings and between you and your spouse?
• Is your child’s behavior succeeding in dividing and diverting you and your spouse’s efforts away from the real issues?
• Are you sure you have an understanding of the “real” issues?
• Is your child inadvertently left in control or holding the family hostage with their bad behavior?

If you have answered yes to some or several of these questions, you and your family may benefit from family counseling. I am based in the Dallas Metroplex. Contact me to schedule a free 10 minute consultation.