Counseling for Families with Incarcerated Members in Pueblo, CO

As much as we try, things don’t always go the way we want them to in life. There are many reasons why someone might end up imprisoned, and many of them are out of our control. But when someone in our family is imprisoned one thing is definitely in our control: how we move forward.

When a family member is in prison, it can have lasting effects on other family members. Anger, betrayal, loss, guilt, pain, and fear are all valid emotions the can arise when a family member is sent to prison. Kids especially are hit hard when a mother or father is imprisoned.

Thriveworks Pueblo wishes we could take away all the pain and make your family whole again. Unfortunately, we too are bound by the limitations of society and of our place in it. While we can’t change the past, our counselors are here to help you build a better future.

The Effects an Incarcerated Family Member Can Have

Thriveworks Pueblo Counseling and Coaching will always be a judgment free zone. We can’t understand everything that is going on in your life and what you and your family have gone through. We will never pass judgment or give our opinion on the past. We are here to help you and your family build a future that is full of stability, love, and growth.

Part of that growth might mean working through emotions and thought patterns that exist after a family member has been incarcerated. Depending on the reason behind the incarceration, the circumstances, and the length of the sentence, it can have different effects on families. Our job as counselors in Pueblo County isn’t to tell you how to feel but help you get to a healthy place of mind.

Having a family member incarcerated can bring about financial strain, trouble raising children, and emotional and mental health. None of it is your fault. You and everyone in your family deserves to live a healthy, happy life. Pueblo Thriveworks Counseling can help you and your family work through:

• Anger
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Antisocial behavior (especially found in children who have a parent incarcerated)
• Limited finances
• Stress
• Moving
• Court dates
• Adjusting to a new family dynamic after imprisonment
• Reintegration of family member after imprisonment

Again, nothing that is happening is your fault. The mental, emotional, and family health of the remaining family members can be overlooked by the justice system. Thriveworks Pueblo strives to be the bridge between the prison system and the family members who are left to live without a crucial member of their unit.

What you are going through proves your resilience, patience, and love for your family. Thriveworks Pueblo thanks you for your strength and courage, it is people like you who make our community so rewarding to serve.

The Impact Parental Imprisonment Has on Children

Children are by far most vulnerable to family imprisonment, especially when it is one of their parents. Children routinely absorb the stress levels of the people around them. When finances are tight, court dates are coming, and a parental figure is missing, children can walk away with unhealthy emotions and thought processes.

But that stress and pain does not have to live with them forever. Thriveworks Pueblo Counseling has many therapists dedicated to child therapy who will ensure that your child lives a healthy, happy, safe life.

When a parent is incarcerated, a child is at risk for developing:

• Antisocial behaviors (anger at others, disregard of authority, breaking the law)
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress
• Lack of motivation in school
• Loss of enjoyment in previous hobbies and passions
• Resentment towards the imprisoned family member and anger towards the family unit
• Feelings of betrayal
• Low self-esteem

Please know that your child is not guaranteed to develop these, they are just possibilities that research has shown is linked between children who have a parent in prison. They can be avoided and helped through a professional counselor. Your children deserve the best possible future. Having a family member imprisoned can sometimes make that more difficult, but it is nothing that you and our Thriveworks Pueblo counselors can’t overcome.

How Thriveworks Pueblo Can Help

Our counselors believe that while we can’t control what happens to us, we can control how we heal and move forward. Some traumas might leave scars, but with professional guidance and perseverance, we can live fully despite the darkness our past might bring.

Thriveworks Pueblo practices a client-first mentality. This means we will always keep you at the center of our counseling sessions- not our beliefs or opinions. Your goals, struggles, fears, and personality will be what drives each and every session.

Because an incarcerated family member effects the whole family, Thriveworks Pueblo offers two counseling modalities:

• Family counseling where a counselor sees multiple people at once to work through hardships. Great for developing strong familial bonds and strengthening family identify/roles.
• Individual counseling where a counselor sees just one person at a time. This is for any family member who might be having a harder time adjusting to an incarcerated family member. It is especially recommended if you have a child whose parent is incarcerated.

Having an incarcerated family member can build stress in a family unit and in our individual lives. It might not always be fair, but our families would want us to continue living life to the fullest. we have Thriveworks Pueblo counselors are here to help you heal from any past wounds, cope with the present, and prepare for the future.

We exist to serve you. If there is any way we can help you today, reach out and give us a call. You can schedule a session by calling (719) 838-6383.