Where to go Online if Your Family Needs Help
| Leonard Holmes, Ph.D. http://mentalhealth.about.com |
Family life is rarely smooth. What are the best ways to discipline a young child? How much freedom should you give you teenager? These are among the difficult questions that most families deal with. Even the "experts" disagree on some of the answers, but there are lots of family resources available on the web.
A good place to start is the Facts for Families site developed by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. These brochures provide some excellent information on child and family issues from a psychiatric perspective. The Academy states "It is neither ethical nor responsible to use the internet for consultation about specific children or families." This is one of the strongest such statements to be found on the web, and many would disagree with it.
The Whole Family Center is one site that disagrees. The site looks a bit like a comic book, and its graphics slow it down. It is filled with resources, such as The Family Fishbowl, an online magazine. Internet Counseling is available, but without any information on who the counselors are. They are described simply as "highly experienced doctoral level, licensed psychologists, social workers and family therapists." One of the more creative elements of this site are the Whole Family Dramas about family issues.
The National Parent Information Network is sponsored by two ERIC clearinghouses: the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City; and the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There are excellent resources here, and the site is quick due to the use of few graphics.
DivorceSupport.com contains a range of original resources for those affected by divorce. Dean Hughson developed the page with the philosophy "Forgive your ex-spouse and live and let-live....life is too short to be mad or hurt too long." Divorce Central describes itself as "a one-stop service and support center for the divorced and the divorcing." This is an attractive site with a light attitude. It includes personal ads.
ParentsPlace.com is a resource for parents. Chats and bulletin boards play a big role at this site, and membership is free. The site is quick with a minimum of graphics, and feature articles are linked with chat sessions for the week. A list of recently recalled products is on the front page.
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) has a site describing their organization. If you want to know more about marital therapy and family therapy, this site is a good resource.
These are just a few of the family resources online. Most of them have links to other resources at their site. You should be able to get an answer or two at these sites.
| Leonard Holmes, Ph.D. http://mentalhealth.about.com |