Supporting the Supporter

Autor/in	Apel, Laura
Titel	Supporting the Supporter
Quelle	In: Exceptional Parent, 38 (2008) 4, S.38-39 (2 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0046-9157
Schlagwörter	Psychological Patterns; Mental Health; Disabilities; Parent Workshops; Anxiety; Special Needs Students; Parents; Well Being; Empowerment; Social Support Groups + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Psychohygiene; Handicap; Behinderung; Elternkurs; Angst; Sonderpädagogischer Förderbedarf; Eltern; Well-being; Wellness; Wohlbefinden; Social support; Soziale Unterstützung
Abstract	Stacy Kane Greenzeig knows that being the parent of a child with special needs is a difficult, time consuming, emotionally draining, and a selfless job. As the mother of a son with disabilities, she has faced the challenges first hand and learned quickly that researching treatments, visiting doctors' offices, and working to help her child in any way possible was now the focus of her daily life. She calls this new path "The Unexpected Journey"--recognizing that for parents of children who have been diagnosed with a disability, everything just changed. However, Greenzeig did more than put a name on the common struggles these parents face. She decided to look into what this kind of existence does to a person--how this type of parenting affects one's emotional well-being. In June of 2000, Greenzeig developed her program, "The Unexpected Journey," to help fill that support void for parents of children with special needs. She now hosts workshops for parents, and for professionals, that focus on their needs and how they can decrease stress levels and maintain better emotional health. The parent workshop is an interactive seminar that acknowledges and addresses the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual components of the journey that these parents face. An environment is created where parents can comfortably identify and work through the challenges they encounter daily. Whether they are struggling with feelings of guilt, navigating through the maze of doctors/specialists, or just watching their friends plan a simple vacation, their emotional reality can be overwhelming. Greenzeig recognizes that as the number of children diagnosed with special needs increases, so do the options, choices, and decisions associated with their care. Because these parents have very unique emotional issues--including the financial stress placed on a family and feelings of resentment, loss, anger, sadness, and guilt--the goal with "The Unexpected Journey" is to focus on empowering these parents by having them address the intense level of energy, emotional and intellectual, that they expend daily. Additionally, they offer techniques and insights that allow parents to view and cope with these challenges differently. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	EP Global Communications Inc. 551 Main Street, Johnstown, PA 15901. Tel: 877-372-7368; Fax: 814-361-3861; e-mail: EPAR@kable.com; Web site: http://www.eparent.com/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10