Play Therapy & Seeing a Child Psychologist: Why they're great + How they fall short

Hi there! I'm Danielle. I help defeated parents find validation, support + proven techniques to parent their strong-willed kids with composure, connection, confidence + cooperation through a 4 month group coaching program based on the Wholehearted Framework I’ve developed over years of working with families 1:1.

As a parent, you have more resources than ever before. It’s incredible that we have the ability to connect across states and oceans, we have access to the latest research at our fingertips, and we can have AI generated summaries of our questions at a moment’s notice. However, as we know with most good things- too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. How do you sort through it all?

When you know you need help, where do you start?

On the Failing Motherhood podcast in April, we're discussing each parenting resource:

EPISODE 1: April 15th, 2025

v. Parenting Content

v. Self-Paced Parenting Course or Book

v. In-person Parenting Class

EPISODE 2: April 22, 2025

v. Occupational Therapy

v. PCIT

v. Child Therapist / Psychologist

EPISODE 3: April 29th, 2025

v. Marriage Counseling or Personal Therapy

v. one-off or 1:1 coaching

v. Virtual Parenting Class

For each, we break down the time/place and family that that resource is BEST for, compare/contrast the unique Pros and Cons of utilizing that support vs. another, and ultimately for some, the way they fall short.

v. Play Therapy / Seeing a Psychologist -

There is a time and place when seeing a mental health professional is absolutely valuable and recommended.

BEST FOR:

• Following up on concerns from school or medical staff

  • When concerns arise that warrant an evaluation and/or diagnosis - esp. when observed by adults in two or more environments and for more than 6 months.  It's always good to start those conversations with your pediatrician first, then get a referral.

• When a child is showing symptoms of developmental regression, no longer doing what they used to, like crawling instead of walking, wetting the bed again after not for years.

• When noticing a very jarring change in their personality, from extroverted to introverted and vice versa.

• When a child shows extreme change in signs of anxiety, depression or withdrawal.

• After a "Big T" trauma like grief & loss, house fire, prolonged illness in parent or sibling, abuse, possibly a divorce.

Parents who need MORE realize...

• Local provider accessibility and availability can be challenging to get in.  Waitlists can be MONTHS long and making time within your busy schedule can tax weekdays. In some areas, families describe getting into practitioners as "next to impossible."

• Professionals may make suggestions you’re not ready for or agree with, like medication or diagnoses. (Don't be afraid of labels, they can enable breakthroughs and feel empowering for both of you!)

• They may or may not see the problems you see, esp. if your child is an “angel” for most other adults.  Remember, in many cases at least two caregivers need to observe the challenging symptoms in two different environments over a period of at least 6 months to meet criteria for treatment.

• They’ll agree, the most impactful influence on a child under 8 is their parent. That parent’s mental health, support system and toolkit determine so much of a child's mental health that some therapists stop working with children because they're not able to make progress and change outcomes without the parent's buy-in, support, and participation.

  • A 2019 Yale study showed that offering parenting coaching inside a support group atmosphere was more effective at treating childhood anxiety than cognitive behavioral therapy for the middle school age child.  

Read more about these resources: click the links below-

Considering Occupational Therapy instead?

Or trying Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)?

I work with families experiencing same symptoms you’d go to those professionals for -

• high highs and low lows emotionally
• struggles to self-regulate,
• coping mechanisms for big emotions
• lack of impulse control
• defiance, acting out- aggression, overall lack of cooperation
• most importantly- your experience of parenting - feeling exhausted, defeated, resentful, disengaging, losing hope

What about a group coaching program?

Group coaching programs combine a committed, safe environment, the fostering of relationships with like-minded people who get it, and the vulnerability they bring forth to create TRANSFORMATIONS. Think business masterminds, support groups for sobriety, fitness challenges- you achieve much more together than you ever would on your own!

WHO IT'S BEST FOR:

✅ Accelerated progress for the parent who needs MORE than random content, books or a course

✅ They know they need INDIVIDUALIZED support, not generalized info.

✅ Their time is PRECIOUS + you need to learn on-the-go.

✅ Their partner is an ENGAGED parent + wants to get their questions answered too; the majority of stress in the relationship is related to parenting.

✅ They crave connection + community, wanting to be KNOWN + HEARD.

✅ They value working with a mentor who's BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.

✅ They are willing to put the work in when it's actually proven to WORK!

✅ They seek to surround themselves with uplifting + powerful conversations with other COMMITTED, cycle-breaking parents

My program, Wholeheartedly CALM, specifically is BEST FOR…

• Worrying Warrior parents, "It is what it is" parents, and "Just tell me what to do" parents (described in detail in my free masterclass- CALM + CONFIDENT)

• The majority of behavior challenges happen at home.  The child has high highs & low lows, strong opinions, and struggle with regulation.  Their parents want to learn to work WITH the way they’re wired.

• A parent is neurodivergent (EX: diagnosed ADHD or gifted as a child) and they wonder if their child will be too (but they're too young to tell or it's all developmentally appropriate right now) OR their child has been diagnosed with ADHD or is on the spectrum

• The majority of stress in their marriage is related to parenting

• They want to transform their relationship with their strong-willed child into the teen years & beyond
• They want to go from dreading pickup to feeling like besties, from 10 meltdowns a week down to 2, strengthen their personal confidence, family’s resilience, and their marriage along the way. 

PROS OF THE PROGRAM:

• No wait-list - apply, schedule call - enroll with immediate access or within next few weeks depending on schedule.

• No commute

• No direct child involvement

• No pressure to medicate or label

• Stress management first

• Comprehensive & Immersive

• Digest and DO it, not just think about it

• Teaches specific strategies for your exact goals, struggles, and strongest-willed child

• Is designed to maximize your time + effort through digestible, repeatable micro-modules

• Equips your partner alongside you the whole way - RARE & critical

• Stress management first, then skills to manage behaviors & strengthen mindset, unlocking connection you always wanted all along

• Able to customize and adapt journey by accessing needed bonuses at anytime, asking most pertinent questions first

• Includes only critical game-changers, not a bunch of backstories, theories or generalized info

• Back-to-back weeks create momentum and accountability, making it more likely you complete it and can ride on the curtails of other’s momentum and hope on the hard days or weeks

• Crowd sources invaluable insight, validation, and support from a tight-knit small group

• Provides unlimited individualized solutions and community like no other

It's the last resource you'll ever need.

NEXT STEP:

Watch the FREE masterclass with your partner-

Calm + Confident - Master the Kind and Firm approach your strong-willed child needs without crushing their spirit or walking on eggshells at parentingwholeheartedly.com then APPLY.