When the Therapist Becomes the Parent: My Journey Navigating My Daughter’s Therapy (Copy)
I have spent years coaching, educating, and guiding parents through the process of supporting their children’s development. I’ve reassured them, reminded them that progress takes time, and helped them navigate the complex world of therapy. And yet, when it was my own child who needed support, I suddenly felt like I had no idea what I was doing.
Too Close to See It
My daughter spent eight years in and out of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. The signs were there early on, but I was too close to the situation to see them clearly. I knew she was struggling with feeding, but I am a feeding therapist—shouldn’t I have been able to help her? I teach parents what to do every day, but when it came to my own child, I was lost. Exhausted. Overwhelmed.
She never slept more than two hours at a time, and I was running on fumes—mentally, emotionally, physically. There were mounting medical bills, three different insurance policies in one year, and then, on the same day that I realized she needed early intervention, my husband lost his job. There was no time to fall apart, no space to fully process everything that was happening. I had no choice but to keep pushing forward.
The Moment I Stopped Trying to Do It Alone
The turning point came when I was talking with a PT friend of mine when my daughter was nine months old. She casually asked, “Hey, how are things going?” And instead of pretending I had it under control, I told her the truth: I need you to tell me.
She evaluated my daughter, and at nine months old, she scored in the fifth percentile for gross motor skills. That was the moment I stopped trying to figure it all out on my own. I made the referral for early intervention, and instead of just being the therapist, I stepped into the role of the parent who needed support.
Therapists Need Support Too
Even as professionals, we are not immune to the emotional toll of seeing our children struggle. Knowing what to do and being able to do it in the middle of exhaustion and stress are two very different things. I needed someone else to see what I couldn’t, to guide me the way I guide others.
I share this because I know there are other parents out there—whether they’re therapists or not—who feel like they shouldknow what to do but are drowning in the reality of their situation. The truth is, we’re not meant to do this alone. Asking for help isn’t failure. It’s the very thing that makes progress possible.
Looking Back
Looking back, I can see how vital those early intervention services were, how much our amazing therapists helped both my daughter and me. But in the moment, it felt like survival mode. Therapy wasn’t just about my daughter’s progress—it was about learning to accept support, to let go of the unrealistic expectation that I had to have all the answers just because of my profession.
So to any parent feeling overwhelmed, whether you’re a therapist yourself or not: you don’t have to do this alone. Find your people. Let them help. You don’t have to be the expert all the time—you just have to be the parent who loves their child enough to seek support. And that is more than enough.
-Amy
