Are you a parent of a child with disabilities? Are you looking for a space to share your experiences raising a child with disabilities? Are you looking for a space to learn new resources and discuss different strategies? If so, you are in the right place and time to join my 5-week group on building hope and resilience in parents of children with disabilities.
During this 5-week journey, we will explore different areas that promote positive parental and family growth including: social support, stress, parenting strategies, and wellness. As a parent of a child with disabilities, you may experience a variety of unique stressors. The love and ferocity you have to be a champion for your child is not immune from the daily demands, challenges, and curveballs you may face when raising a child with disabilities. Some of these challenges include increased financial strain, relationship stress with partners and other family members, disciplining, attending your child’s appointments with healthcare providers, and balancing your own personal wellness. It is a lot to tackle! With that being said, parents of children with disabilities are unspoken heroes.
The majority of my career has been dedicated to promoting couple and family wellness, particularly in families of children with disabilities. I have a unique understanding in supporting families that come in all shapes and sizes, and that includes families of children with special needs. I co-developed an assessment measure, the Family Adjustment Measure (Daire et al., 2014), that captures four different areas in parental and family adjustment for families of children with disabilities. These areas include: a) parental distress, or your emotional experience in raising a child with disabilities; b) family-based support, or the importance in creating cohesion and harmony among family members; c) social support, or the access parents and families have to resources that support the growth and development of your child with special needs; and d) positive coping skills, or the strategies you utilize to navigate different stressors and overcome challenges.
Using this evidenced-based model, we will explore these different areas as they relate to your individual experience. You will have the opportunity to discuss your voice among others who have shared experiences. It will be a safe space to explore insights, express concerns, and share dreams for your child and family, while also learning useful strategies and tips along the way.
Our group will be meeting at the Virginia Beach location on Tuesdays from 5-6:30 PM EST starting March 31st through April 28th, 2020. The cost of the group will be $30 per session. If you are interested in joining, please contact the office at 757-578-2985 or by email wholeheartedcounselinghr@gmail.com to reserve your spot. Spaces are filling up quickly and I would love to get the opportunity to work together.
Vanessa N. Dominguez, PhD, Resident in Counseling
Daire, A. P., Dominguez, V. N., Carlson, R. G., & Case-Pease, J. (2014). Family adjustment measure: Scale construction and validation. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 47(2), 91-101.