From a combination of work and life experience I have come to realise that not everyone had an uneventful childhood.

Some of the issues that individuals might bring to me as a Psychologist and Counsellor include one or both parents being either:

• Physically absent – where the parents might be divorced, separated or deceased, or “Single Mums or Dads”, or who had parents who were so busy working to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads they didn’t have much time for their children

• Emotionally absent and not giving the child the physical and emotional support they needed to grow up as well adjusted adults;

• Physically or sexually abusive to their child or children.

Although well intentioned, the parents may have had their own:

• Mental health issues;·
• Alcohol or other drug addictions;
• History of physical and or sexual abuse or neglect as children;
• Situations where “the fickle finger of fate” dealt them a difficult life

That meant they could not give their children the love and attention the developing child needed. 

There is any number of variations of the sorts of situations described (or not described) above. 

Although counselling cannot change the past, it is possible to look at history with an “adult eye” and assist the person to look at their experiences in a new way.

This is not to ignore what has happened in the past, but to try to help the client to feel more comfortable with what has happened or not happened and try to reduce the impact on their current life.