How parents' affairs affect your children

Patricia O'Laughlin, Family, Marriage & Art Therapist, shares advice on how parents' affairs can have negative effects on your children
Parenting Advice | How Kids Are Effected By Their Parent's Affair
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How parents' affairs affect your children

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Forgiveness and the expression of anger are very important for a child when there's an affair that's happened. This can be incredibly difficult for the parent. They want to rescue their child from the anger they're experiencing, from the pain that they're having. Ignoring the problem, pretending that the problem isn't affecting your child, and not making space for your child to express themselves is what's going to hurt them down the road. If they can move through their anger, forgive what's happening, and move on, they can learn a valuable lesson that life can be difficult, relationships can be problematic, and that you have the right to have your feelings, and that you can forgive.

Patricia O'Laughlin, Family, Marriage & Art Therapist, shares advice on how parents' affairs can have negative effects on your children

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Patricia O'Laughlin, MFT

Psychotherapist & Art Therapist

Patricia O’Laughlin, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Art Therapist, has a private practice in Los Angeles where she specializes in the “psychology of parenting”. Patricia believes that there are specific psychological issues surrounding parenting, and created the phrase “psychology of parenting” to capture these unique experiences. Patricia supports adults from the stages of deciding whether to become a parent through the empty nest. She believes that mindful parenting and conscious parenting are essential components to break intergenerational traumas and patterns. Combining traditional “talk” therapy with art therapy, Patricia facilitates a deeper exploration of the self, helping people uncover unconscious motivations and helping them be “who they are”, rather than whom they think they “should be”. Patricia received her master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and Art Therapy from Loyola Marymount University. She is trained to treat Perinatal Mood Disorders from Postpartum Support International and utilizes Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for physical, sexual, neglectful, and relational traumas. Patricia provides individual and couples counseling to adults, teens, and children. She believes wholeheartedly that the world becomes a more peaceful place when individuals feel more balanced inside. As a therapist she wants to help both women and men find their inner balance, so they can be true to themselves and the people they love.Patricia has been interviewed for Baby Center, The Today Show, Parent City USA, She Knows, Care.com, and Pregnancy Magazine. She writes for numerous websites and parenting blogs, such as The Good Men Project and Howtolearn.com. She was filmed as a “Teen Expert” for About.com. Patricia is a speaker at conferences, schools, and businesses. She is currently a part-time faculty member and teaches art therapy at Otis College of Art and Design.  

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