OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES, December 5, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- There are many challenging circumstances affecting families everywhere, but it's not always possible for parents to navigate those challenges alone. With the help of a family therapist, parents can identify what influences how they raise children and how everyone in the family can meet their potential.

Dr. Janis Johnston is a psychologist specializing in family life development, or the development of family dynamics over the life cycle. Dr. Johnston and her clients explore family dynamics in a holistic way: how they grow and how they change in positive ways.

“Parenting is a journey that a parent travels with their child, rather than a set of actions that an adult performs,” says Dr. Johnston.

According to Dr. Johnston, when raising a child, parents must re-negotiate their own unmet needs that surface from their childhoods as their children pass through phases of development.

Dr. Johnston is the author of It Takes a Child to Raise a Parent, which offers a guide for parent-child interactions for current parents and those who are considering becoming parents. The book maps the healthy development of children within a context of developing parents.

“All parents are parents-in-training,” says Dr. Johnston. “I really believe that parents stand to learn as much from their children as the kids learn from mom and dad. A child's issues can bring up memories of times that a parent experienced some challenge. When a parent acknowledges their own unmet childhood needs, they can begin to repair that trauma from their youth.”

Of course, parents must navigate their own journey as individuals as well. This idea runs most strongly though Dr. Johnston’s second book Midlife Maze: A Map to Recovery and Rediscovery After Loss.

“Midlife is actually the longest development stage and the least written about. It’s when we are most on top of our game but also the time when we begin to pile up losses in life,” says Dr. Johnston. “Loss has a way making you stop and reflect on your emotions, which presents the opportunity for parents to be forward-thinking, developing a growth mindset and a resilient focus in the present moment. If you look at the transition that loss brings as a “turning point,” you can gain a lot of wisdom about life.

“My hope is that individuals develop a growth mindset, opening themselves to creativity and learning, especially about their personalities,” says Dr. Johnston. “With intention, one can cope with the many challenges in one’s life while still growing as an individual, a parent, and as a caring family member.”

CUTV News Radio will feature Dr. Janis Johnston in an interview with Jim Masters on December 7th at 1pm EST.

Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio.

If you have a question for our guest, call (347) 996-3389.

For more information on Dr. Janis Johnston, visit www.janisjohnston.com

Lou Ceparano
CUTV News
(631) 850-3314
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