Testimonial from a Mother of a Teenage Daughter
What kind of concerns or issues were you struggling with before receiving Tatsuya's therapy?
First, my child herself was struggling with a lack of focus and the inability to meet school assignment deadlines. She told me that she believed she had ADHD and wanted to seek therapy.
As a parent, I was also concerned. My child’s school had transitioned to online learning due to COVID, and during that time, she became lethargic, withdrawn, and increasingly negative in her speech and behavior. In addition, she had always been forgetful and struggled with organizing her belongings, which added to my worries.
How did Tatsuya's therapy help improve your situation?
I realized that my child’s behaviors, which had been concerning me, were merely surface-level issues. The root of the problem lay in my own mindset, parenting approach, and the way I interacted with my child.
Through family therapy, we not only gained a deeper understanding of ADHD but also developed a greater awareness of our child as an individual. Most importantly, I was able to shift my perspective and truly embrace my role as a loving, supportive, and encouraging parent.
Additionally, therapy helped me reflect on my own experiences, thoughts, and behavioral patterns. As a result, my child gradually regained her natural positivity, curiosity, and bright personality.
Regarding ADHD-related behavioral challenges, therapy enabled us to openly acknowledge and address these issues together as a family. By setting shared goals and recognizing progress, we created an environment where I could offer encouragement and positive reinforcement. I feel this has significantly contributed to improving my child's self-esteem.
What was your impression of therapy before and after?
Since I had never experienced therapy before, I didn’t have any particular expectations going in. If anything, my image of therapy came from movies, where a therapist listens attentively to a client’s problems.
After completing therapy, I found that while the therapist did listen with empathy and care, they also played an active role in untangling issues one by one in a structured and practical way.
What did you like about the therapist?
First and foremost, the therapist provided a safe space for my child. Seeing my child express herself freely in therapy, in a way she never did even with family, reassured me that she felt completely comfortable and safe being her true self.
Secondly, the therapist effectively identified and highlighted key issues, helping our family recognize and address them together. As a family, we often go through our daily lives without discussing small concerns or discomforts. However, the therapist took the time to revisit and thoroughly explore even the seemingly minor but deeply rooted issues. This allowed each of us to become aware of our own challenges and take personal responsibility for addressing them.
Moreover, I deeply appreciated that the therapist did not only focus on my child, the primary client, but also considered the entire family, including both parents and siblings.
The therapist often said, "When parents change, the child changes," and I truly experienced this firsthand. A home environment serves as the foundation for a child’s growth, and the therapist helped us reflect on and improve the "soil" of our family environment.
Who would you recommend the therapist to?
Ideally, I would recommend therapy to all parents as part of their parenting journey. However, since most people seek therapy when they are already facing difficulties, I particularly encourage parents who feel they are struggling to connect with their child or who notice concerning behaviors or anxieties in their child to seek therapy as early as possible.