
Parenting Difficulties
Becoming a parent is a significant life event, and caring for an additional family member adds another layer of responsibility to your life. This can make accomplishing daily routines more challenging, and it can also make caring for yourself more difficult.
What are parenting difficulties?
Many parents find their infant’s or teenager’s behaviour both confusing and frustrating, and it’s very normal to feel stressed and to experience a range of emotions, including occasional bouts of unhappiness and negativity. However, prolonged feelings of unhappiness or feelings of being overstressed can gradually impair your confidence, self-esteem, and even your physical health. This in turn can affect your ability to “be there” for your family. If you are finding these feelings or your situation difficult to handle, you should seek help.
Common causes of parenting difficulties
There are many causes of parenting difficulties, and everybody’s needs are different, but common issues include:
- Adjusting to being a new parent, or even contemplating or preparing to become one
- Managing conflicts or behavioural issues amongst family members
- Experiencing marital conflict or separation
- Managing the challenges of a family member with a disability or a mental illness
- Parental depression, anxiety, or stress
- Life issues, such as financial strain or the death of loved one.
How can Seed Psychology help?
If you are experiencing parenting difficulties, our staff can work closely with you individually, or together with your family, to support you. Our psychologists can help you to improve your family life by helping you to develop new skills and strategies, such as building assertiveness, and setting boundaries. We can even help you to explain difficult topics such as death or separation to children.
Through connection,
change is possible
Our compassionate team at Seed Psychology is here to help you regain your wellbeing and navigate life’s challenges with greater confidence and clarity. Connect with us to book an appointment with a psychologist in our Brunswick clinic or via telehealth Australia-wide.
Available resources
Meet our amazing team of therapists
Our diverse team of psychologists offer individual, couples, and online therapy, as well as assessments. Beyond their expertise, they bring humanity and care, providing respectful, affirming support tailored to each person’s unique experience.
Freqeuently asked questions
-
Therapy is a shared process. While your Psychologist brings expertise, insight, and support, the most meaningful outcomes often come when you’re actively engaged in your own growth. This means being open and honest during sessions, reflecting between appointments, and being willing to try new approaches-even when it feels challenging. Therapy can take time, and progress isn’t always linear, but your commitment matters. Here are some ways to support your journey:
- Be open and honest with your Psychologist, even (and especially) if something feels hard to say.
- Give feedback if something doesn’t feel right or if your needs change.
- Stay open to exploring new ideas and practices within a safe, supportive space.
- Take notes or keep a journal to reflect on insights or patterns between sessions.
- Try to attend regularly-consistency is key to building momentum.
- Be kind to yourself. Growth can be uncomfortable at times, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
- Invest in your wellbeing outside of therapy by building habits and routines that nourish you.
Therapy is a courageous act of self-investment. By showing up and staying engaged, you create space for real and lasting change.
-
Our experienced team of Psychologists offers warm, evidence-based support that’s collaborative, inclusive and grounded in genuine understanding. We provide individual, relationship or family therapy for a wide range of concerns. Additionally, we offer couples therapy, online therapy, psychological assessments (including ADHD and Autism Spectrum Assessments), and workshops.
-
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how long therapy takes. At Seed Psychology, we tailor each intervention to your individual needs, goals, and circumstances. Some people come to therapy to navigate a specific challenge, like managing anxiety, adjusting to a life transition, or processing a relationship difficulty. Others may be seeking deeper emotional growth or support for longer-term concerns. Because of this, the number of sessions can vary. Many clients attend between 6 and 18 sessions, though some need fewer and others continue for longer. Your Psychologist will discuss an estimated treatment plan with you after your initial assessment and continue checking in over time to ensure it feels helpful and aligned with your goals. Ultimately, the pace and duration of therapy is something we navigate together, guided by your progress, preferences, and what feels right for you.
-
Consultations with a psychologist last between 50 and 60 minutes.
-
At Seed Psychology, your safety and wellbeing are our highest priorities. While we are here to support you through regular therapy sessions, we are not a crisis service and may not be available outside of scheduled appointments. If you or someone you care about is in immediate danger, experiencing a mental health crisis, or needs urgent support, it’s important to seek help straight away through the appropriate emergency or crisis services. You can find a list of trusted organisations and services here that can provide immediate support when you need it most.