HOME-BASED COUNSELLING & IN-HOME PARENTING  PROGRAMS

HOME-BASED COUNSELLING PROGRAM

Why home-based counselling services?

By providing counselling or psychological therapy at home, families and individuals receive services much more easily than in an office or clinic. Very few, if any, counselling services in Hong Kong offer in-home therapy. It reduces or eliminates the following obstacles or barriers:

• Cost of transportation
• Scheduling difficulties
• Arranging childcare
• Physical difficulties involved in going to a clinic
• Anxiety going to a clinic

In-home therapy is often the most effective form of psychological counselling within the area of behavioural psychology. An individual’s or family’s everyday, natural environment may be best for

• Developing the best understanding of a problem.
• Treating difficulties in a familiar setting, with an optimal level of comfort and a sense of security, making sessions more impactful and effective.
• Helping resolve problems that typically occur at home (e.g., child behaviour problems, an anxiety disorder that occurs primarily at home, parent-child conflict).

What to expect in home-based counselling?
The therapeutic strategies used in home-based counseling are similar to traditional office-based counseling or mental health treatment. However, home-based counselling is usually conducted at a kitchen table or in the living room. This approach allows counsellors or psychologists and their clients to more rapidly develop a relationship, often shortening the length of treatment and improving therapy results. Counsellors or mental health therapists can also observe how individuals and families function and interact in a familiar setting.

What types of home-based counselling do we offer?

Individual counselling – We provide in-home counselling for individuals of all ages, treating most psychological difficulties (e.g., ADHD, ADD, anxiety disorder, depression and other mood disorders, PTSD – posttraumatic stress disorder and sleeping difficulties.

Marriage and couples counselling – We offer in-home counselling for couples that have marital and relationship difficulties. Home-based counseling can help couples improve intimacy and resolve conflicts in a familiar and natural environment.

Family counselling – We provide in-home family counselling to help with relationship building, communication, conflict management and problem-solving. It may also reduce stress and build on the family’s strengths. This approach is particularly beneficial for families with parent-child relationship difficulties and adoption issues.

Behavioural counselling – We provide in-home counselling that can help children or teenagers with difficulties related to Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD – Autism), oppositional and defiant behavior (ODD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder) shyness, the depressed child and other social problems.

Chronic mental health and developmental difficulties – We provide in-home counselling for families of individuals with chronic mental health and developmental difficulties. These therapies can help create strategies for supporting the person’s development at home as well as the family members/caretakers who care for the person.

IN-HOME PARENTING PROGRAM

What kind of in-home parenting program do we offer?

We are proud to offer Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T). P.E.T. is one of the most widely used evidence-based programs. It was developed by the award-winning psychologist and three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Dr. Thomas Gordon, in 1962. This program has been proven to be effective for improving child behaviour and parent-child relationships by teaching parents and children practical communication and conflict resolution skills. These skills can be used at home and in all relationships. The principles of the program heavily emphasize non-punitive, compassionate and respectful parent-child relationships.

What parents learn from the P.E.T program

• Active listening skills – Improving relationships and child behaviour by helping parents listen better to what the child says and his or her underlying feelings. It also encourages the child to express feelings more openly, improves the child’s problem-solving skills and increases the child’s willingness to listen to the parent’s beliefs and ideas.
• Use of Behavior Window – Helps parents understand their own feelings and what influences them.
• Use of I-Messages vs. You-Messages in communication – Improves communication between the parents and child and helps the child to modify behavior that is unacceptable to the parents. It also helps the child grow and learn to take responsibility for his or her own behavior. This is especially helpful for the child with ADHD and a depressed child.
• Overcoming the 12 “Roadblocks” (problems in parent-child communication) – Identifies 12 types of communication that interfere with a healthy parent-child relationship.
• Using the “No-lose” Method for resolving conflicts – Helps parents and children develop better problem-solving and conflict resolution skills. It motivates the parents and the child to find a solution that is acceptable to both. It also encourages the child’s thinking skills and willingness to address real problems.