Q: Good day to you doctor I am a desperate and concerned parent, trying to find a way to save my son from himself. What I mean is that all he is concerned about now is girls, or, one in particular, and it is having a negative impact on his schoolwork.

He is doing absolutely nothing in school. This is his final year in high school and I don't want him leaving with nothing to show for his five years of high school.

Please give me some advice or the name of or names of any counsellors in the Montego Bay area to whom I can take him. I also believe that there are other issues affecting his life but he won't talk and I can't reach him.

He is not a child who wants to go out all the time or stays out late from school. Most of his time is spent on the phone or computer. I need to help my child. Please help me so that I can help him.

A: I am happy to know that you are hopeful for your son. That is a wonderful sign. It is very important that you do not give up.

There are many things that are important to him now. Counselling will explore these issues and help him to prioritise.

Counselling should help him to deal with any academic, emotional or unresolved personal issues he may be experiencing.

It will be important for you to remember that the counselling sessions will not just be for your son, but for you, and possibly other members of your family, as issues arise. Please call Gateway Medical Centre at 962-5292. They have a team of counselling psychologists who are ready to help you.

Q: I read your column every week doctor, and I am happy that you cleared up for me, the difference between the counsellor, the psychiatrist and the psychologist.

A few years ago we went to a counsellor, who we thought was a psychologist, only to find out years later, that she was not a psychologist. She was attending to our child for months.

However, it was only after we visited a real psychologist, that we found out the reason why our child was giving so much trouble in school. She was not reading.

POSITIVE Parenting

Sometimes people come on the radio and on TV saying they are psychologist and when I call to get help from them, they are not psychologists. What is being done in Jamaica to stop this?

A: I am sorry you had that experience. The Jamaican Psychological Society is currently registering all persons who say they are psychologists and wish to practise in Jamaica.

Psychologists are also seeking to be regulated under the first schedule of the Act, under the Council of the Professions Supplementary to Medicine. It has to be passed in Parliament so that persons who say they are psychologists are regulated.

Q: I am married to a lovely man six months now. This is my second marriage but my 16-year-old daughter is not coping well. She is an only child for me and her father and now she has two sisters. She is the youngest. She has gone quiet and only talks to her new sisters when she needs something. What do I do?

A: Your daughter does not seem to be coping well with sharing her Mommy with her new family.

With all of the changes that new siblings bring, some children might misbehave as they struggle to adjust.

Encourage your child to talk about any angry or resentful feelings. If a child cannot articulate those feelings, don't be surprised if he or she acts out by knowingly breaking the rules.

This behaviour could be a sign that your child needs more one-on-one time with you, but make it clear that although her feelings are important, they have to be expressed in appropriate ways.

Plan activities so that the family especially the children can learn to be comfortable around each other. If these recommendations do not work, please visit a psychologist who will guide your family to cope with other issues that may be of concern.