A member asked:
What's the best way to approach spousal abuse for my child's psychological development? my son is only a year old right now. his father and i have been apart since he was 3 months old and we aren't going to be getting back together. his father was not the
1 doctor answer • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Heidi Fowleranswered
Psychiatry 27 years experience
Hello. : Hello. It sounds like you have been through a very difficult time. I don't think an on-line doctor can answer this very sensitive question. Ultimately, you will need to weigh in the pros and cons. I suggest that you work with a counselor. It would help you to process the abuse as well as being a good sounding board for how you will approach this in the future. I sincerely hope that you are on the road to healing. Take care.
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5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Barbara Lavi commented
Clinical Psychology 37 years experience
I agree with Dr. Fowler. Small children exposed to traumatic events often do not remember them consciously, but may have sensory memories or unconscious memories that do not understand or have words for. I would encourage you to have the child seen in play therapy from time to time, as a preventative mental health benefit to give them a space to play out whatever may come up for them. Kids enjoy it and if there are any leftover tramatic issues they may play out in therapy.
Aug 9, 2013
Last updated Jul 18, 2019
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