Why do you not treat children or practice "family therapy"?

    Although a popular field of work, and quite profitable also, I have chosen to only work with minors who are at least seventeen years of age -- nearing the time that they leave home.  It is my conclusion, gained from both personal experience and through observing others, that children's pathology is almost always a reflection of the pathology in their caretakers -- that children are the mirror of their parents.

    I began working with middle school children in 1967 at a clinic dedicated to special education for children with school related behavioral issues.  My last year to work with this age group was 1998 after a very depressed mother, and almost invisible passive father, signed up their 10-year-old son for counseling at the clinic for which I worked.  They were greatly surprised when I requested that they too enter into therapy with me.  Their attitude seemed to say: "Look...here is our son.  We will be back in an hour to pick him up -- dry cleaned -- pressed -- and neatly hanging in place."

    That boy was a clear reflection of his home training.  How could I possibly undue 167 hours of parental influence in the one hour I would see him each week?  When I switched to working with the parents only, I observed more improvement in the children, whom I was not treating, than I had in my previous experience working at three clinics with the children!