Parent-Child Relationship Therapy Q&A
Child-parent relationship therapy (CPRT) can assist families in overcoming their differences and fortifying their ties. Parent-child interaction therapy can make children feel much more at home or ease with themselves, which can help them develop their self-esteem. Parent-child relationship therapy is available at Gold Counseling. For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We have convenient locations to serve you in Riverdale, Kaysville, Draper, and St. George, UT.


Table of Contents:
What Exactly is a Parent-Child Relationship?
Struggling in this Relationship?
What to do About it?
Is that Enough?
This might sound like a silly question, right? In actuality, it might have a bit more of a complex answer than people might think. The parent-child relationship is not as simple as “it’s the relationship between the parent and child… duh”, and is more of a unique relationship, a bond that only those individuals experience. This relationship is established in many of the interactions between the child and parent. It is a nurturing relationship that fosters the social, emotional, and physical well-being of the child. This relationship is pivotal in the development of children and their relationship both with their parents and likely others later on.
Are you a parent who is struggling in your relationship with your child and/or children? Don’t worry, you’re not alone and this can be happy for various reasons. It needs to be clear that both parties impact this relationship, not just parents, and not just children. Sometimes a parent is worrying about the decisions their child is making, sometimes there is a difference in beliefs, or even times when both parent and child simply feel that there is a disconnect between them.
These struggles can present to parents in the way of not understanding their child and the decisions they make, feeling as though the child is rebelling, wondering where the connection with their child is, and much more. For children, this might feel like their parents don’t care, don’t understand, or don’t want to spend time with them. Whereas for teenagers, this may feel more like “my parent is trying to control everything I do”, “they just don’t get me”, and rebelling. These are just a few examples of how struggling in a parent-child relationship can show up in the lives of the different parties involved.
There are several steps you can take as the parent in this relationship that might help you better understand your child, or to better the relationship between you and your child. Some self-help tools that may seem obvious include finding a good book to read and reference about parent-child relationships, as well as finding podcasts on the subject. Additionally, it would likely be beneficial to explore the various types of parenting. There are many types, but most often we hear of authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. Learning more about these and how you parent could be beneficial to both you and your child.
Positive parenting and positive interactions with your child can also help to strengthen this relationship. Positive interactions do not mean just letting your child do whatever they want, don’t worry! It’s a combination of meaningful interactions, having boundaries, rules, consequences, active listening, etc. These can look like eating dinner together regularly (I know, it is hard with kiddos in extracurricular activities), demonstrating support and interest in their interests, and more. If you have more than one child, you might find it beneficial to spend 1:1 time with each of them as a way to strengthen the individual relationship with each child.
Don’t be afraid to find additional tools as well! There may be some trial and error, but these tools, books, tasks, etc., can be the tipping point you need to strengthen your and your child’s relationship.
Sometimes, issues in the relationship between child and parent feel beyond the parent’s control. If you’ve tried the steps above, or others you’ve found, and are continuing to feel as though you are missing something from the parent-child relationship, then it might be time to seek professional help.
Gold Counseling has various therapists who specialize in these kinds of relationships and struggles. We have marriage and family therapists, therapists who specialize in neurodivergent populations and can help you to connect better with your child who is not neurotypical. We’re happy to help you find ways to foster growth and quality in these relationships.
Please visit Gold Counseling today if you feel you (and/or your child) could benefit from meeting with a therapist on our staff to strengthen the parent-child relationship you are currently a part of. For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We serve patients from Riverdale UT , Washington Terrace UT, Clinton UT, Kaysville UT, Clearfield UT, Farmington UT, Draper UT, Riverton UT, Sandy UT, St. George UT, Bloomington UT, Santa Clara, UT, and surrounding areas.


Additional Services You May Need
▸ Relationship Counselling
▸ Couples Counselling
▸ Individual Therapy
▸ EMDR Therapy
▸ Spiritual Healing
▸ Disordered Eating
▸ LGBTQIA+ Therapy
▸ Group Psychotherapy
▸ Life Coaching Therapist
▸ Depression Treatment
▸ Mental Health Clinic
▸ Life Transition Therapy
▸ Telehealth Counseling
▸ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
▸ Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT)