This morning Bart and I get to go to our first session of family therapy at the ranch with John. New therapists always make me nervous, because you never know what kind of therapist you’re going to get. You can get a “your parenting style is your kid’s problem” therapist or you can get a “I recognize that this child has been damaged by a different family system” therapist. If we get the former, it will make things much much worse. If we get the latter, more than likely we will have some help in the transition home and as issues arise.
John is an interesting kid, with multiple layers of issues. He has been, in the last year alone, in detention, in shelter care, in the psych hospital twice, in residential treatment, in two different foster homes, and at the ranch. He has had several therapists and staff members involved in helping him “deal with his past.” While I know that some of it was helpful, many times I think it just opened old wounds that will take a long time to heal.
He’ll be home for good in 10 days but that will not be the end, but the beginning...
2 comments:
Just wondering how this all works in your state. For a child to receive all those services (except psych hosp, of course) here, he'd have to be in the state's custody.
PS. Hope you got a family therapist who understands all the complications of John's situation.
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