Parenting
Parenting counseling,
for parents who are out of options
Discipline disagreements, screen-time battles, school pressure and a teenager who has stopped talking. Work with the parents, not on the child.
- Who attends
- Parents
- Individual
- Rs. 2,000 / 60 min
- Both parents
- Ask when booking
- Languages
- English · Urdu · Punjabi
Parenting counseling at The Bonding Corner works with parents rather than with the child, focusing on repeated conflict, discipline disagreements between parents, school pressure and communication with teenagers. Sessions are held online with psychologist Zahid Sohail in English, Urdu or Punjabi.
The approach
What parenting counseling is
Sessions with the parents, about the situation at home. The child is not the client and is not assessed on a parent’s account, which is deliberate: most of what can change quickly is on the parents’ side.
The work is usually specific. One recurring situation, described in detail, traced through what each person does, then examined for where it could be interrupted.
What parents bring
Almost always something that has been repeating for months.
- Discipline that has stopped working, or that the two parents disagree about
- Screens, phones and the daily argument about them
- School pressure, exam results and what happens after them
- A teenager who has stopped talking, or who talks only to argue
- Career and marriage expectations for an adult child
- Parenting while the marriage itself is strained
In session
What a session focuses on
Two parents, one message
Children respond to consistency more than to any particular rule. Disagreement between parents is often the real subject.
Couples counselingWhat the behaviour is asking for
Behaviour that looks like defiance frequently turns out to be about control, fear or exhaustion.
Expectations, stated out loud
Much family conflict is about expectations neither generation has ever actually said.
Repair after a bad week
What you do after shouting matters more than never shouting.
Anger managementWhen a child needs their own referral
Some situations need assessment of the child by someone qualified to do it, rather than parent-focused work.
- A significant change in a child’s mood, eating, sleep or behaviour.
- Any mention of self-harm or of not wanting to be alive.
- Suspected developmental or learning difficulty needing formal assessment.
- Where a child is being hurt, by anyone.
In any of these, the right step is a referral to a qualified child specialist or a doctor, and the practice will say so.
Who wrote this
Written by Zahid Sohail
Psychologist and founder of The Bonding Corner. MSc and PGD in Applied Psychology, more than 15 years in practice, working in English, Urdu and Punjabi.
Last reviewed:
This page is general information, not a diagnosis, and counseling does not replace medical care. About Zahid Sohail · Mental health words in Urdu
What the research says
- WHO guidelines recommend parenting support to strengthen the parent-child relationship, reduce harsh parenting and lower parents' own stress. [1]
- Talking therapies involve speaking with a trained professional about your thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and are used for a wide range of difficulties. [2]
References
[1] World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on parenting interventions to prevent maltreatment and enhance parent-child relationships (2023). www.who.int
[2] NHS. Talking therapies (reviewed 5 November 2025). www.nhs.uk
If you are thinking about ending your life or are in danger now, call Rescue 1122 or Police 15, or Umang’s 24-hour helpline on 0311 7786264. Online counseling is not an emergency service. All helplines in Pakistan.
Questions, answered
Questions people ask.
Can I bring my teenager to counselling?
The practice’s age and consent policy decides this, and it must be confirmed before this page goes live. Parenting sessions work with parents rather than with the child.
Does my child need to attend?
Usually not. Most of this work is with the parent, looking at what you do in a recurring situation and what a different response would cost.
Can both parents attend together?
Yes. A 90-minute session at Rs. 3,000 allows both parents to attend, which is useful when you are handling the same situation differently.
Is this about discipline techniques?
Not primarily. It is usually about the pattern around the behaviour: what precedes it, what it achieves, and what happens between the adults afterwards.
Does the practice see children?
The age range the practice works with, and what consent is required for a young person, is being confirmed. Ask directly rather than assuming either way.
Explore further
Where would you like to go next?
Coming without your co-parent is fine.
One parent changing how they respond is often enough to shift a household pattern.