Preventative psychotherapy

[Anonymous]

I like OP's idea. I've often thought about offering my kids (once they are old enough) some professional guidance for their emotions as a kind of preventative care, because I might (and likely do) have blind spots. Kids are going through emotional pain whether they have to confront it and find ways to address it in real time, or whether they have to do it later, when the emotions are compacted and festering like a turd. Maybe a therapist can even come to a kid's defense -- against the parents! I'm okay with that. Maybe most people wouldn't be, though.

I do find it interesting that this thread surfaced the same week that Dylan Klebold's mom published a memoir about how clueless she was about her child's emotional universe. Maybe don't wait until your child gets arrested (as Eric's parents apparently did) or goes on a killing spree to express curiousity about their emotional landscape.

One drawback is that sessions with a minor are not confidential under law. I think that can never be conducive to trust, so any well-meaning attempt to provide them with a sounding board or guidance may backfire or never be taken seriously. I don't know why the law treats the 17 and under set so poorly.