Supporting Parent Carers in Therapy: Counselling Tutor Podcast Appearance

Image source: Counselling Tutor

I recently had the pleasure of joining my wonderful colleague Dr. Jo Griffin on the Counselling Tutor Podcast to talk about a topic close to both of our hearts: how therapists can better support parents of children with disabilities, complex medical conditions, and special educational needs (SEND).

In this episode, we speak with Rory Lees-Oakes in the Practice Matters segment (starting at 26:57 mins) about our new CPD lecture and the lived realities of parent-carers – from daily battles with systems to the emotional weight of constant advocacy.

Here’s a flavour of what we discuss:

• How cumulative trauma can show up in parent-carers – through anger, shutdown, grief, or burnout.

• Why therapists need to understand the systems these families are navigating – education, health, and social care.

• The power of recognising “inch-stones” – small wins that mean everything in families living with uncertainty.

• The importance of flexibility and being able to hold space for both grief and joy without slipping into toxic positivity.

If you work with parent carers, this conversation is for you. It’s about deepening our understanding, making therapy more accessible, and honouring the complexity of these parenting journeys.

Listen here: Counselling Tutor Podcast – Episode 308
(Our segment begins at 26:57)

Warm thanks to Counselling Tutor for having us on and shining a light on this important topic.