Parenting Assistance

Effective & healthy parenting is literally necessary for emotional and psychological health & happiness
for each spouse, their children and entire the family

Acquire Skills
  • Effective communication
  • Teaching values
  • Responsibility
  • Self esteem
  • Self confidence
  • Respect for others
  • Caring about others
  • Friendship
  • Love
  • Developing good habits
  • Developing vision & goals
  • Active listening
  • Goals & expectations
  • Social skills
  • Enhancing motivation
  • Setting limits
  • Relationships & friends
  • Dating & sexuality
  • Relating with siblings
  • Behavior modification
  • Cooperation
Links to other family services
Introduction to Parenting

Learn and improve parenting skills and alleviate problems for you, your spouse and your children.

Especially during these challenging times, the most loving, caring, and well-motivated parents experience difficulties in raising their children – YES even in “the best of families.”

Married, divorced, single or widowed parents, parents who get along great and who do not get along well with each other – all parents face difficult challenges when it comes to parenting.

Parents who are dealing with difficulties related to trauma, poor health, or other psychological issues face even more difficulty raising their children.

Often, just a little practical guidance, and the learning and utilization of specific effective parenting skills can greatly reduce the anxiety and frustration for both the parent(s) and the children, and increase individual and family harmony and satisfaction.

My own personal experiences as a caring husband and father who deals with the difficulties and challenges (and blessings and delights) of parenting, and my twenty-five years of professional experience teaching parenting, and helping parents be more effective, happier and more successful, can help you accomplish your parenting goals.

(I began my career in psychology as a Licensed Marriage, Family, and Child Therapist in California, 1981, and I was the clinical director and senior supervisor of the Westside Counseling Center, in Los Angeles (1984-1990). I was also a school teacher, school counselor, school psychologist, and am a Fellow of the Lookstein Senior Educators Program, Bar-Ilan)

Good parenting increases self-esteem, healthy functioning, general happiness, and life satisfaction for both parents and children.

Depending upon what is most helpful and appropriate and desirable for my clients, I may work either with: an individual parent, both parents, with one or more children with or without their parents, with the whole family, or any combination of the above.

It is my preference to avoid bringing the children into counseling unless necessary. I prefer to help and empower the parents to help their children without the children needing to be “in treatment.” Of course, often it is necessary to have the children join in the counseling process. When appropriate, I work with the family in their home.

Sometimes children “act out” because of conflict or special difficulties, such as marital conflict, are being experienced by other family members. At times marriage counseling is an important part of the process.

I also offer lectures, classes, and workshops on related topics. Please click here to check our calendar of events.

I do my best to provide interventions that are brief, effective, and lasting.

My interventions are focused, clear, positive, interactive and caring. I provide the understanding and skills needed  to solve problems and achieve goals.

I prefer treatment to be intensive and short-term, in order to get the job done effectively and efficiently, while saving time and money.

Feel welcome to call me to ask any questions that you may have and to learn how I can help you and your family.

Learn more about the parenting services I provide

Parenting consultation provides a number of opportunities, including:

Opportunity to evaluate the issues and dynamics regarding current parenting styles, skills, values and behaviors.

Evaluation of the positive and negative effects and consequences current parenting practices are having on the parents, on each child and on the family as a whole.

Advice and guidance as to creating and evaluating parenting, child and family goals.

Creation of strategies to create positive change and eliminate problems or dysfunction.

For more information regarding parenting counseling>

Child counseling or therapy to help the child to alleviate difficulties and grow positively.

 In general I prefer, when possible, to help the parents of the child (or children) to help their child (or children) resolve their difficulties. My reasons include:

For more information regarding counseling for children & teens >

  1. This is a more natural approach to family functioning
  2. It is better for the child not to have to deal with any potential negative feelings or experiences, such as, there is something wrong with me, I am sick, my friends or siblings will make fun of me, embarrassment, shame, guilt, etc.
  3. It is good for parents to be as effective, helpful and healing with their children as possible.

 However, at times the best thing is for a child or children to be seen by a professional.

Reasons can include:

  1. The child does not feel comfortable speaking honestly about the issues with his/her parent(s).
  2. The parents find it too difficult or emotionally painful to deal with the issues with their child.
  3. The parents act inappropriately with the child and the child cannot wait until the parent receives help in learning how to appropriately interact with his/her child.

 In such instances I will meet first with the parents alone to get the parents’ description of the situation, as well as their thoughts, feelings, concerns, and goals. After meeting with the parents I will meet with the child (children). Sometimes on the first session or two, the parents will accompany their children in the session, if the children are young and would feel more comfortable with their parent(s) present. During the ongoing treatment I will work with the parents and the children individually and together.

 I help parents and children learn to express their thoughts, feelings, needs, expectations, disappointments, love, anger, frustration, etc. in positive constructive healthy ways. I help the family to clear away the negativity, stop dysfunctional behaviors, and increase positive, healthy, loving, respectful, and enjoyable behaviors.

For more information regarding children & teens counseling >

Much of what I wrote about children applies also to teens.

 In addition, teens tend to be, or at least want to be, independent from their parents, and often would prefer working with a therapist or counselor, than speaking with their parents about their psychological, emotional, and social difficulties, as they feel uncomfortable talking with their parents about the difficulties they have. Dating, sex, and identity issues are examples of topics that most teens do not want to speak about with their parents.

For more information regarding teens counseling >

Family counseling can effectively and efficiently  help the family function in a more healthy integrative way.

For more information regarding family counseling >

Marriage counseling is often helpful to help the parents work in harmony in their parenting.

For more information regarding marriage counseling >

Alleviate problems
  • Anxiety & depression
  • Behavior problems
  • Smoking, alcohol, drugs
  • Addictions & pornography
  • Aliyah issues
  • ADD, ADHD & ODD
  • Obsessive compulsive
  • Asperger’s & social shyness
  • Acting out
  • Rebelliousness & anger
  • Competition
  • Coping with illness or disability
  • Death & dying
  • Existential difficulties
  • Spiritual issues
  • fears & phobias
  • Nightmares
  • Trauma & abuse
  • Learning & school difficulties
  • Enuresis & encopresis 
  • Adoption

DISCLAIMER:

Of course specific results cannot be guaranteed, and vary from client/patient to client/patient. Motivation and positive participation, as well as suggested homework are required of the patient. The work is a partnership between therapist and client/patient.

I want to give my patients the best treatment I can, and create the best treatment strategy for each patient. To do this, it is important for me to have the necessary information regarding their condition, medical history, and past and concurrent treatment, with other health professionals. I, therefore, request consultation with my patients’ medical doctors, when I treat them for medical or psychiatric diagnoses, or at least a copy of their medical report, so that I can offer the best services possible.              

At times hypnosis or another modality of therapy is not recommended or appropriate for a particular client/patient. Whether hypnosis or another modality is utilized in the treatment of my client/patient is determined after consultation and evaluation of the client/patient, the specific issues presented the preference of the client/patient, and the client/patient’s medical history.

Regarding hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy and hypnosis are usually very good treatment interventions. However, hypnosis is contraindicated under certain circumstances. For example, hypnosis is usually contraindicated for individuals who suffer from severe psychiatric disorders, such as psychoses and schizophrenia.

A proper diagnosis and evaluation of each client/patient must be made before hypnosis is utilized. It is only at the request of the client/patient and at the evaluation and discretion of Dr. Sheldon that hypnosis will be utilized.

Often Dr. Sheldon consults with other physicians treating his client/patient as part of the evaluation and the creation of the proper treatment strategies, as well as to ensure that there is safety, harmony, coordination and consistency among the health professionals treating the client/patient and the treatment modalities utilized. Dr. Sheldon will also ask the client/patient to provide information regarding any medications or other drugs taken.

Regarding Testimonials and Endorsements: Of course what is written in testimonials and endorsements and professional recommendations represents the author’s experiences and opinions.

All of the above is for the well-being of the client/patient, and to make sure that all work is done with high ethical and professional standards, legally, effectively. I want to give excellent service and wants each of his clients/patients to be as successful as possible.

If you have any questions, please feel welcome to contact me.

Additional Resources Coming Soon

Feel welcome to discuss with me any questions that you may have regarding
how I can help you

Contact Dr. Sheldon
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Almost all of my clients and patients see improvement within a couple of sessions. In fact I tell all of my new and prospective clients and patients that they will know within two meetings if I am the right therapist for them.

Of course specific results cannot be guaranteed, and vary from client/patient to client/patient. Motivation and positive participation, as well as suggested homework are required of the patient. The work is a partnership between therapist and client/patient.

I want to give my patients the best treatment I can, and create the best treatment strategy for each patient. To do this, it is important for me to have the necessary information regarding their condition, medical history, and past and concurrent treatment, with other health professionals. I, therefore, request consultation with my patients’ medical doctors, when I treat them for medical or psychiatric diagnoses, or at least a copy of their medical report, so that I can offer the best services possible.              

At times hypnosis or another modality of therapy is not recommended or appropriate for a particular client/patient. Whether hypnosis or another modality is utilized in the treatment of my client/patient is determined after consultation and evaluation of the client/patient, the specific issues presented the preference of the client/patient, and the client/patient’s medical history.

Regarding hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy and hypnosis are usually very good treatment interventions. However, hypnosis is contraindicated under certain circumstances. For example, hypnosis is usually contraindicated for individuals who suffer from severe psychiatric disorders, such as psychoses and schizophrenia.

A proper diagnosis and evaluation of each client/patient must be made before hypnosis is utilized. It is only at the request of the client/patient and at the evaluation and discretion of Dr. Sheldon that hypnosis will be utilized.

Often Dr. Sheldon consults with other physicians treating his client/patient as part of the evaluation and the creation of the proper treatment strategies, as well as to ensure that there is safety, harmony, coordination and consistency among the health professionals treating the client/patient and the treatment modalities utilized. Dr. Sheldon will also ask the client/patient to provide information regarding any medications or other drugs taken.

Regarding Testimonials and Endorsements: Of course what is written in testimonials and endorsements and professional recommendations represents the author’s experiences and opinions.

All of the above is for the well-being of the client/patient, and to make sure that all work is done with high ethical and professional standards, legally, effectively. I want to give excellent service and wants each of his clients/patients to be as successful as possible.

If you have any questions, please feel welcome to contact me.