Parents who want to be great role models and family leaders have a secret weapon in their fight to make the correct parental decisions. They can get feedback from parenting professionals to keep their goals in sight and their priorities clear.

There are 3 specific situations when parenting therapy will help keep your family relationships tuned up and healthy:

When death or trauma strikes.

Each child and adult in your family will have their own unique responses to the deaths of loved ones or beloved animal companions. Some grownups and children readily express their grief, while others hold it in or seem not to be bothered by losses at all.

The same holds true of loved ones dealing with traumatic events like accidents, weather emergencies or criminal assaults. The most resilient people may crack, and the most vulnerable ones may handle the stress with serene grace.

Family members should be allowed to process their feelings in ways that are most comfortable for them - as long as their methods are safe for themselves and others. Problems arise when a survivor cannot move past their grief after a sufficient amount of time. They may not be able to focus on school or job responsibilities because their feelings are so overwhelming.

Parenting therapy for adults will help them come to terms with the death or trauma and find ways to honor their loved ones through meaningful living. Parenting therapy also teaches you the skills to help children and partners cope with serious losses.

When parents are jailed or abuse substances.

Having a parent who is incarcerated takes a tremendous toll on a young person, even if they are surrounded by healthy, caring adults. Young people may be teased at school, angry at the criminal parent, or begin to identify with less-than-savory companions to feel closer to the missing parent.

Parenting therapy will help you learn how to say the right things and how to spot trouble with a young person whose parent is locked up, and it helps the custodial parent cope with their own burdens as single mothers or fathers. You and your kids learn to make the right choices.

Being the stable parent when the other parent has substance abuse issues is also difficult. Whether they live in your home or not, you'll need support and a place to vent. A parenting therapist can help you focus on healthy responses and behaviors when others are being irresponsible.

Before the next dysfunctional holiday.

Some of the most brilliant families on the outside are hot messes on the inside. Rather than silently recycling the same family dynamics, many parents choose to prepare their children for the inevitable dysfunction and manipulation they will encounter at large holiday gatherings. You can't change your family, but you and your children can choose to recognize inappropriate behaviors and conversations and respond in ways that keep each of you safe.

A qualified parenting therapist will help you develop an exit strategy for those holiday moments when family gets crazy, and they'll teach you how to say the right things to your kids so they can handle such volatile scenes if they do occur. Parenting therapists also help you develop smart plans to keep your kids safe from abusive and controlling adults they may encounter on holidays and every day.

To learn more, speak to a parenting therapist or check it out here.