Family guidance
Parenting support
Support to better understand your son or daughter and take care of how you are experiencing parenthood.
The appointment can take place in person in El Masnou or online.
raising children can also stir things up, tire you out and raise many doubts
Not every difficulty needs a direct intervention with the child.
At some points, especially during the early years, working with the mothers, fathers or caregivers can be the most respectful and effective way to bring about change and support family well-being.
Parenting support offers a professional space to pause, understand what is happening and look for answers suited to your family’s needs.
It can also help you when parenting starts to affect your relationship, differences in parenting appear, or you feel you are carrying this stage with too much tiredness, tension or loneliness.
when parenting support can help you
Sometimes small changes in the adults bring about big changes in the family. You can request support if any of these situations worries you:
- Difficulty setting boundaries, rules or routines.
- Tantrums or intense emotions.
- Fears, insecurities or changes in behaviour.
- Problems related to sleep or eating.
- Jealousy between siblings.
- Difficulty encouraging autonomy.
- Conflicts over screen use.
- Adapting to school or refusing to go to school.
- Communication difficulties within the family.
- Family changes you do not know how to explain or support.
- Doubts about a suspected condition or a diagnosis.
- Differences between caregivers about how to raise children.
- Tiredness, overload or the feeling of not knowing what to do.
- Couple conflicts related to parenting.
You do not need to wait until the situation becomes unbearable. Seeking parenting support can help you understand what is happening and consider what kind of support your family needs.
how we work with families
Understanding before intervening.
We do not work with one-size-fits-all recipes or rigid formulas.
We start from your reality, your son’s or daughter’s age and needs, your way of parenting, the family’s history and the resources you already have.
We explore what may lie behind a behaviour, a fear, a tantrum or an everyday difficulty. Often, what looks like a problem can also be a way of expressing a need, adapting to a change or trying to regulate something the child cannot yet explain in words.
From this understanding, we look together with you for strategies that can fit into your daily life and take care of both the child’s well-being and the family bond.
The aim of guidance for fathers, mothers and caregivers is not to tell you what you are doing right or wrong, but to help you understand the situation and find answers consistent with your family’s needs.
two ways of supporting you
The process can focus mainly on the child’s needs, or also include a view of family and couple relationships. At the first appointment we will consider with you which approach is most suitable.
Support focused on parenting
A space to talk specifically about your son or daughter. In this kind of support, the focus is on understanding what the child needs and giving you tools to respond in a more attuned way.
It can help you to:
- Better understand a behaviour or a recent change.
- Review boundaries, rules and routines.
- Support intense emotions.
- Encourage autonomy.
- Improve family communication.
- Anticipate and prepare for major changes.
- Understand how the family or school environment influences them.
- Find ways to take care of the bond when living together has become difficult.
The child does not always need to take part directly in the sessions. In some cases, work with the caregivers can be enough for the situation to start changing.
See psychological therapy for children →Support with a family and couple perspective
Taking care of parenting without losing sight of how you are. Sometimes the difficulty is not only in how to support the children. Motherhood, fatherhood, tiredness, mental load, differences in parenting or lack of time can also start to affect the couple relationship.
You may feel that you only function as a parenting team, that you always argue about the same things, or that one of you feels more alone, overloaded or unsupported.
In this space we can work on:
- Differences in the way you raise your children.
- Agreements on boundaries and rules.
- The sharing of responsibilities.
- The mental load that comes with parenting.
- Arguments related to the children.
- Difficulty working as a team.
- Distance or loss of connection.
- Changes in the relationship after becoming parents.
This family support does not seek to decide who is right, but to understand the different positions and build agreements that take care of the child and of the people responsible for raising them. It is about understanding how this stage is affecting you, reviewing the dynamics that have formed and finding a more shared and conscious way of holding both parenting and your relationship.
See couples therapy →First appointment
what the first appointment is like
A first space to understand what is happening: at the first appointment we can listen to your situation, learn what worries you and understand how it is affecting the child and the family as a whole.
- We will also consider whether a guidance process with the caregivers may be enough or whether another kind of support would be advisable.
- You do not need to know in advance which of the two options fits you best. We will help you decide based on what is happening.
- The appointment can take place in person in El Masnou or online.
Ask before booking
You can write to us on WhatsApp and ask with no obligation. We would rather answer a question than leave you with it.
Tell us what you need
You do not need to know which therapy or which professional to choose. We will help you find your way.
25 minutes · €36 · In person in El Masnou
Choose a day
Loading the calendar…
Choose a time
Couples therapy has its own process
It does not start with the first assessment appointment: the first step is different. On its page we explain how it works, and you can book directly.
Family therapy has its own process
It does not start with the first assessment appointment: the first step is different. On its page we explain how it works, and you can book directly.
Neuropsychology has its own process
It does not start with the first assessment appointment: the first step is different. On its page we explain how it works, and you can book directly.
- Therapist
Beatriz Velazco Brao
Registered Health Psychologist · Child and adolescent psychology · Parenting guidance · Neurodivergence
- Languages
- Spanish · Catalan
- Format
- In person in El Masnou · Online
- Therapist
Dámaris Rey Álvarez
Psychologist · Child, adolescent and adult psychology · Neurodivergence · Parenting guidance
- Languages
- English · Catalan · Spanish
- Format
- In person in El Masnou · Online
- Therapist
Laura del Mar Jiménez Pereta
Registered health psychologist and humanistic psychotherapist specialising in relational-integrative therapy
- Languages
- Spanish · Catalan · English
- Format
- In person in El Masnou · Online
frequently asked questions about parenting support
Some common questions before you start.
Does our son or daughter have to come?
Not necessarily. In many cases, working with the caregivers makes it possible to understand the situation better and bring about change without the child having to take part directly.
Is it the same as child therapy?
No. Family guidance focuses mainly on supporting the adults to understand the child’s needs and review the way they respond to them.
Can we come even if we do not agree on how to raise our children?
Yes. Differences in parenting are one of the most common reasons for consultation. The aim is not to decide who is right, but to build agreements that take care of the child and of the relationship.
Can we also work on how it is affecting us as a couple?
Yes. When parenting is creating distance, arguments or overload, we can address the couple relationship and the way you work as a team at the same time.
How many sessions will we need?
It will depend on your situation and the goals we agree on. Some consultations can be resolved in a few sessions, and others need more ongoing support.
a space to pause and understand what is happening
First assessment appointment
A first 25-minute meeting to hear your situation, answer your questions and point you towards the right kind of support.
In-person therapy
Discover in-person psychological care at Calma de Ser in El Masnou.
Online therapy
Find out how online therapy works and which ages and types of support it is available for.