post-treatment sessions

If your family has gone through any form of treatment, whether inpatient, long-term residential, wilderness therapy, or other forms of treatment, what happens after the initial treatment phase is over is vital to the success of all the effort one makes would put into treatment. Research shows clearly that added support after treatment increases the longevity of the treatment experience and leads to more beneficial outcomes.

If your son or daughter has been through treatment, one of the difficult parts of post-treatment coaching is the amount of therapy they would have received while in treatment. Often they feel burned out or “over” therapy. This is where having an understanding coach can make the difference.

After six years in the therapeutic process, while working at In Balance Academy, near Tombstone, AZ, I have a deeper understanding of the post-treatment experience and have an educated perspective that allows clients to gain more confidence to not return to old patterns. The patterns that were present before treatment often have a strong pull to return to. Old friends (including boyfriends and girlfriends) often desire to have a relationship again. Because of these connections, it’s often nearly impossible for parents to steer their son or daughter away from these old friends and groups of friends.

Helping your son or daughter have a deeper understanding and gain practical tools and strategies to continue to make beneficial choices, ones that they are responsible for, more likely.

Coaching for parents

The post-treatment experience for parents is often needed as well. After an investment into treatment for your son or daughter, parents have a hard time not reverting to their old patterns and can unknowingly add stress to their relationships with their children. I have found that it is often harder for parents post-treatment due to the money spent for treatment and the strong desire not to have to fear any return to old patterns and behaviors with your son or daughter. This can be very challenging. Old patterns of control, codependency, enabling, rigid or loose boundaries, and falling short on your own recovery journey… are often patterns I have seen from you as parents. This all makes sense. You want peace instead of chaos and conflict.

Regardless of how well your family did during the therapeutic process, the conflict will return to your family. Gaining access to learning more about self-honesty, assertive communication skills, and developing the courage to face the challenges that lie ahead is vital. Creating a team approach, where all can take accountability for their actions, not only keeps boundaries clear for all involved, it puts the responsibility for each individual’s choices where it belongs. With the person making the choice.

You will grow more in this vital process because there are more opportunities for outcomes to show up that are difficult to deal with. Often, parents wish for simpler times, and that makes sense. However, all families that have made it to the other side, where the family has more harmony rather than confusion and conflict, will tell you that they are deeply grateful that they hung in there during the challenging times.

Trust is what everyone wants. Learning to trust that you, as parents, can trust yourself to manage your own thoughts and emotions brings a level of freedom from the suffering of over-worrying, over-concern, over-thinking, and making deals with yourself. Being able to do the difficult tasks of allowing your son or daughter to make mistakes and carry the weight of their consequences helps teach your children the lifelong lesson of foresight.

No doubt, this is challenging. I assure you that the coaching process with me will make sense, you will be understood, and will be asked to work for your betterment. Every parent who has taken up this challenge to improve themselves has gained a healthier relationship with their son or daughter.