Abstract
It is difficult to help a child whose parents are unavailable to the professional working with the child. Parents whose children have problems tend to be fearful of being judged and criticized. Anger or expressions of guilt may mask their fears about their own inadequacies and problems. All parents need to be listened to and understood before professionals can help the children. Communicating this understanding to the parents requires more than works. Listening, enabling parents to talk and talking with parents often needs to be supplemented by actions concrete services and even by play to enable the parents to trust enough to want to learn how to be better parents. Foster parents must also be drawn into a cooperative effort to help children in their care.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen, F. H. Creation and handling of resistance in clinical practice.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1934,2, 268–278.
Argelander, H.The initial interview in psychotherapy. New York: Human Sciences Press, 1976.
Bruch, H. The role of the parent in psychotherapy with children.Psychiatry, 1948,11, 169–175.
Chapman, M. Salient needs: A casework compass.Social Work, 1977,58, 343–349.
Davis, I. Advice-giving in parent counseling.Social Casework, 1975,56, 343–347.
Enzer, N., & Stackhouse, J. A child guidance approach to the multi-problem family.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1968,38, 527–538.
Ewalt, P., & Kutz, J. An examination of advice giving as a therapeutic intervention.Smith College Studies in Social Work, 1976,47, 3–19.
Feldman, Y. A casework approach toward understanding parents of emotionally disturbed children.Social Work, 1958,3(3), 23–29.
Feldman, Y. Listening and understanding.Clinical Social Work Journal, 1975,3, 85–89.
Fraiberg, S., Adelson, E., & Shapiro, V. Ghosts in the nursery.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 1975,14, 387–421.
Freud, A.Normality and pathology in childhood. New York: International Universities Press, 1965.
Lackie, B. Mahler applied.Clinical Social Work Journal, 1975,3, 24–31.
Love, S., & Mayer, H. Going along with the defenses in resistant families.Social Casework, 1959,40, 69–74.
Miller, R. R. Disappointment in therapy: A paradox.Clinical Social Work Journal, 1977,5, 17–28.
Nagelberg, L., & Spotnitz, H. Strengthening the ego through the release of frustration-aggression.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1958,28, 794–801.
Rose, J. A. Relation of therapy to the reality of parental connection with children.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1949,19, 351–357.
Sherman, E. A., Phillips, M. H., Haring, B., & Shyne, A. W.Service to children in their own homes: Its nature and outcome. New York: Child Welfare League of America, 1973.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This is an excerpt from the bookWork With Children to be published by Human Sciences Press in February 1979. This selection deals with communicating with parents, for until that is accomplished, there is no chance to communicate with children.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lieberman, F. Communicating with parents. Clin Soc Work J 6, 313–321 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00760897
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00760897