Tag Archives: therapists

Be a Lifeguard, Not a Lifesaver: The Benefits of Avoiding Rescuing Behaviours

Posted by: Anna Coutts on February 24, 2015 3:31 pm

It’s hard to not be a rescuer. Very few parents, therapists or generally empathetic people I know can stand idly by and watch someone they love drowning in emotional pain, getting choked by waves of sadness, anxiety or shame. It’s not to say that rescuing is a bad thing- saving someone from a painful struggle is absolutely necessary sometimes.

Unfortunately, however, it’s easy to get trapped in a rescuer role that eventually puts both of you at risk. I see parents getting caught in this trap all the time in my work with youth dealing with complex mental health issues. Parents witness their child’s emotional turmoil and bend over backwards to find a way to dive in and save them from suffering. Who can blame them? No one wants to see their child in pain and every parent wants to protect their child.

Balancing Stones - 36428104The problem with rescuing is that while it provides immediate relief, it doesn’t yield long-term results. It dis-empowers the person being rescued and they never learn how to swim. Instead, you get caught in an infinite loop, as they become reliant on you to rescue them over and over again. Even the healthiest lifesaver, the strongest swimmer, can only pull someone safely to shore so many times before they too become exhausted and are unable to keep their head above water. Not only can this lead the person rescuing to struggle to stay afloat themselves, it can breed resentment. How many times can you rescue someone before you get frustrated with them for always jumping in? It can also stir up negative feelings for the person being rescued. They may begin to see themselves as a helpless victim and feel ashamed or angry that they always need someone to help them get to shore.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Psychological Benefits of Art Therapy

Posted by: Asa Don Brown on February 28, 2012 10:43 am

“Beholding beauty with the eye of the mind, he will be enabled to bring forth, not images of beauty, but realities…” ~ Plato

As parents, when our child falls ill, or  is prone to a disorder or a discomfort; we are diligent to seek for remedies and constructive answers to aide in that time of discomfort.   As a parent, I can reassure you that I will do everything in my power to gain the best care for my child’s needs.

Whether we are searching for answers for the physical or the psychological; as parents we yearn for positively constructive remedies to solve our child’s discomforts.

Art therapy is one of many modalities that is capable of helping guide your child to health and happiness. Art therapy is an expressive language of the conscious and the unconscious minds.    The pursuit of art can be accomplished through various mediums including:  sculpting, drawing, mosaics, painting, clay making, music and variety of art modalities.  Art therapy is instrumental in assessing and treating a variety of psychological, as well as, physically disorders.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA