Gain Tools to Improve Your Parenting Through Parent Counseling

Close-up of a supportive couple holding hands on a couch during a marriage counseling session in Baton Rouge while a therapist writes notes.

Parenting can feel frustrating when you keep trying different approaches and the same problems return. You may find yourself repeating instructions, disagreeing with your partner about discipline, or wondering why everyday routines have become so difficult. In my Baton Rouge practice, parent counseling gives us time to understand what is happening in your family and work toward a more intentional approach. We focus on the concerns you are experiencing now and practical changes you can bring into your daily life.

Every child brings a different temperament and set of abilities into the family. An approach that worked for you growing up may not fit your child, and what helps one sibling may leave another struggling. We can look at those differences and discuss responses that better fit your child's needs.

A difficult behavior can leave you focused on getting through the immediate moment. During counseling, we can slow down and consider what happens before the struggle begins, how you respond, and what your child may need help learning. That gives us a starting point for developing a plan you can practice at home. The conversation stays grounded in situations you recognize, so you can connect what we discuss with the moments that are hardest for your family.

Setting limits can become exhausting when every boundary seems to lead to another argument. You may know what you want your child to do but feel unsure how to respond when they refuse. We can discuss how to communicate expectations clearly and follow through in a way that fits your child's current abilities. Part of that work involves looking at your own reactions during stressful moments. When frustration takes over, it can become harder to use the approach you intended. Counseling gives you room to work through those situations and consider how to stay consistent while maintaining a connection with your child.

Young husband and wife in a tense discussion with their therapist during a Baton Rouge marriage counseling appointment.

Daily transitions can be a useful place to begin. Getting dressed, turning off a screen, or leaving for school may bring up the same struggle each day. We can look at how much notice your child receives, how you give directions, and what happens when the routine changes. From there, we can discuss a more predictable sequence and ways to offer choices within the limits you have set. Working through one familiar situation gives you a specific opportunity to practice and notice what needs adjusting.

Parents do not always agree about how to handle a difficult situation. Different experiences and expectations can lead you toward different responses. We can work on understanding those differences and developing shared expectations, so parenting decisions feel more coordinated and less like another source of conflict between you.

Separation or divorce can add another layer of difficulty to parenting. You may be working through changes in routines while trying to communicate with a parent who lives in another household. In counseling, we can discuss the challenges you are facing and keep attention on your child's needs. We can also work on clearer conversations about parenting responsibilities and ways to avoid drawing your child into adult disagreements. Your family's circumstances guide what we address and which changes are realistic.

Parent counseling can also begin before a child arrives. Preparing for parenthood gives you time to discuss responsibilities and the expectations you each bring into this stage of life. We can talk about the approaches you hope to use and where your assumptions differ, while leaving room to adjust as you get to know your child.

A couple sitting on a couch speaking with a therapist holding a clipboard during a marriage counseling session in Baton Rouge.

Counselor taking notes during a couples counseling session in Baton Rouge with a couple sitting together on a couch.

Some parenting moments do not go the way you hoped. You may raise your voice or react before you have had time to think. We can discuss how to return to that conversation once everyone is calmer, acknowledge your response, and restate the boundary without restarting the argument. Giving attention to what happens after a disagreement helps you practice the communication you want your child to learn. It also gives us room to talk about your own stress and what makes it harder to respond as you intended.

Knowing how you want to respond and doing it during a stressful moment can feel very different. In sessions, we can work through examples from your household and identify manageable changes to practice. You might begin with one recurring struggle, such as leaving the house or following through on a limit. When we revisit what happened, we can discuss what felt useful and where a different approach may be needed. The goal is to develop parenting skills you can use beyond the counseling session.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”
-Benjamin Franklin

Children are amazingly complicated and need to be addressed as individuals. Successful parents are intentional parents. We often pull from what we were presented with when it comes to parenting. What worked for you may not be working for your child. During our sessions we will learn to address your child’s specific skills deficits as well as your own. Modeling/turning ourselves into who we want our children to be is often the key to successful parenting.

Therapist writing on a clipboard while parents and their child meet for a marriage and family counseling session in Baton Rouge.

Scott is who you need if you’re looking to improve yourself and relationships. He gives you the tools you need and examples on how to apply them to overcome obstacles and ultimately be able to navigate any bumps in the road you may be having.

- Casey Carroll

Scott is a counseling GENIUS. I recommend him to everyone! He’s counseled my parents, my siblings, my family, even my friends. He is passionate and very professional!

- Ashley Renee

Scott is awesome, he has helped me change my mindset which has changed my life. I would highly recommend him.

- Tracy Talbert

Helpful Parenting information

Two Frontal Lobe Functions

Most of what we call behavior problems is more accurately described as simply undeveloped immature executive skills/frontal lobes. Below is a list of important areas of development for your child’s frontal lobes.

Emotional control/Regulation skills

Impulse control
Emotion regulation
Flexibility of thought
Task initiation
Persistence

Decision making/Thinking skills

Planning
Organizing
Time management
Working memory
Self-monitoring

Example of skills deficits/behavior milestones during early childhood to address

Self-soothing. Emotional skill (between 0 and 5 years old)
Dropping food over the side of the high chair. Behavioral skill (less than 1)
Aggressive playing (slapping). Behavioral skill (@1.5 years old)
Sharing and taking turns. Social skill (between 1.5 and 3.5 years old)
Transitions (clean-up, etc.). Behavioral skill (between 1.5 and 3.5 years old)
Listening to instructions. Behavioral skill (between 1.5 and 3.5 years old)
Temper-tantrums. Emotional skill (between 1.5 and 4 years old)
Patience. Emotional skill (between 2.5 and 3.5 years old)
Disrespectful. Social Skill (3 years old)
Maintain composure. Emotional Skill (4 years old)
Go with the flow. Behavioral Skill (4 years old)
Be nice. Social Skill (5 years old)
Follow directions. Behavioral Skill (5 years old)
Be a leader not a follower. Social skill (6 years old)
Don’t respond to adults like they are your friends. Behavioral skill (6 + 7 years old)
Pick up after yourself. Behavioral skill (7 years old)

Tips for coping with defiant behavior in the early years

Offer a choice among choices (all of which must be acceptable to you)
Use humor
Encourage your child to use their imagination
Enforce the limit without anger
Help your child recover emotional regulation
Avoid giving in

Desired results of positive parenting

Confidence
Capacity to build relationships with adults and peers
Concentration and persistence on challenging task
Ability to effectively communicate emotions
Ability to listen to instructions and be attentive
Ability to solve social problems
Challenging behaviors often occur when children don’t have these particular skills

Important attachment goals

1^st year – Children want to be “with” you. They use sight, smell, hearing and touch in order to feel “with” you.
2^nd year – Children want to be “like” you not only “with” you. This period is key to language development as well as behavioral management.
3^rd year – Children seek a sense of “belonging.” If they find a place of “belonging” children will display a sense of closeness and loyalty.
4^th year – Children yearn for a place of “significance” in the family. They need to matter and feel like they have a voice.
5^th year – An explosion of frontal lobe development that creates the lattice work has happened
and the foundation of their attachment style has been put in place.

Topics we can cover in parenting counseling:

Early Childhood

This is a critical stage in your child’s development. Your most important job as a parent it to be your child’s frontal lobes while theirs develop. Building a positive relationship is the key to developing your child’s frontal lobes. Relationships are the cornerstone of children’s ability to develop social and self-regulation skills. Learn how to be your child’s mentor and not just a warden and you will help your child form secure relationships in their adult life. A child’s early brain development creates the lattice work for more advanced skills to build upon in adolescence and young adult development.

Learn how to work together as a team

Success in parenting is not a short-term project. Parents must learn to work as a unified front in order to parent effectively. Having a shared vision about the goals and techniques of parenting can reduce friction among parents and help children form secure relationships. We will learn how to parent with intentionality while using a plan that consists of structure, boundaries and consistency to achieve desired outcomes.

Positive Discipline & Conscious Discipline

Learning different discipline techniques can help you understand, reinforce and/or extinguish a variety of behaviors. A behavior problem can be more accurately described as a skills deficit. Discipline literally means "to teach" and it has a healthy balance of "firm but kind" practices. Together we will explore discipline techniques that model to our children more of what we want them to learn rather than what we do not want them to learn. We will understand what is age-appropriate behavior in order to minimize the emotions of parenting and maximize the results.

Parenting together while living apart

Separation or divorce can be difficult for the entire family. You will learn how to put the best interest of your child first while setting aside your differences during the difficult situations of separation or divorce to ensure a healthy outcome for your child. When children are young, they only function within relationships. Often their behavior is a result of the functionality or dysfunctionality of the relationships they are in.

Problems at daycare or preschool

As an early childhood consultant, I worked closely with schools and understand how they work. Together we can discover the root of your child's undesired behaviors and create a plan to address them.

Pre-Parenting

During these sessions we will prepare for what could be the most challenging time of your life.... parenting! Having your expectations in line with reality before having a child can greatly reduce the stressors of parenting. You will be a more effective parent by simply knowing what to expect and having a plan in place before you become parents. You will learn how to "swim with the current" by understanding the opportunities that are presented to you during early childhood development.

Parent Counseling Frequently Asked Questions

What is parent counseling?

Parent counseling focuses on helping you understand the challenges you face while raising your child and develop practical parenting skills. Sessions give us time to discuss specific situations, consider your child's needs, and work on responses you can use at home.

What can parent counseling help with?

We can address concerns about discipline, recurring behavior struggles, parenting disagreements, and changes in family routines. Counseling can also provide support as you prepare for parenthood or adjust to parenting after separation or divorce. Your family's concerns guide what we work on.

Do both parents need to participate in parent counseling?

Who needs to attend depends on your parenting concerns and the goals of counseling. If your concerns involve differences between parenting approaches, having both parents involved may give us a fuller understanding of those differences. Contact the practice before scheduling to confirm who should participate.

How do I know if I should try parent counseling?

Parent counseling may be a useful next step if the same struggles keep returning or you feel unsure how to respond to your child's behavior. You may also want support when you and your partner disagree about expectations or discipline. You can begin with a specific concern without having every problem clearly defined.

What happens during a parent counseling session?

We discuss the concerns you bring and look at examples from your family's daily life. We may consider your child's developing skills, your expectations and how you respond during difficult moments. From there, we can identify changes to practice and review what you learn as you try them at home.

Can parent counseling help us communicate better about parenting?

Yes, communication between parents is one of the topics we can address. We can discuss the expectations behind your different approaches and work toward a shared plan for recurring situations. Sessions also give you room to consider how to discuss disagreements away from the immediate conflict.

Can parent counseling help when the same behavior problems keep happening?

Yes, recurring behavior concerns give us specific situations to examine. We can look at what happens before the struggle, how you respond and which skills your child may need help developing. Those details help us decide what to practice and what to adjust.

Can parent counseling help after separation or divorce?

Yes, sessions can address parenting concerns that arise when parents live apart. We can discuss changes in routines, communication about responsibilities and ways to keep your child out of adult disagreements. The focus is on parenting support, rather than legal advice or custody decisions.

How long does parent counseling take?

Parent counseling does not have one set timeline; the length depends on your concerns and goals. We can discuss your priorities and revisit them as you practice changes at home. The number of sessions should reflect your family's needs rather than a fixed promise of results.

Is parent counseling only for families experiencing serious problems?

No, you can seek support for everyday struggles or before a major family transition. Some parents want to strengthen their approach to discipline, while others want to prepare for parenthood or communicate more clearly with a partner. Counseling can begin with an area where you would like guidance.