The Missing Link in Child Therapy
By Jenny Peterson
When a child begins therapy for behavioral or emotional challenges, many parents focus on what happens during weekly sessions. But according to Charleston therapist Ashlin Blum, lasting progress depends on much more than time spent in the office.
Why Family Involvement Matters
“The whole family approach is important so we can understand exactly what’s going on with each family member,” said Blum, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Empowered Family Therapy Practice in Mount Pleasant. “Each family member has different environmental variables that shape how they respond,” he said.
Blum notes that therapy sessions represent only a fraction of a child’s week.
“There are 168 hours in the week. I get one, or at most two, hours with a child,” he said. “Most of the work has to happen outside of my office, within the family system.”
For that reason, Empowered Family Therapy incorporates parent training, direct child therapy and, when appropriate, counseling for parents. The goal is to create consistent strategies that can be realistically implemented at home.
Building Lasting Change at Home
Families seek support for concerns ranging from physical aggression and persistent defiance to emotional regulation challenges. Blum works to identify the root causes of behavior and develop effective interventions.
Blum, an autism specialist, notes that consistency is especially critical for children on the spectrum.
“Once families understand what’s causing the behavior, interventions become simpler and more effective,” he said. “The goal is for parents and caregivers to feel confident enough to manage the strategies on their own. That’s when real change happens.”
