Secular help

Secular counsellors are aware that parents find difficult to contact counsellors to be at the bedside of their sick child.

Counsellors notice two opposing attitudes among parents whose child is ill or terminally sick. They refuse the help of any close person proposing to take turns with them at the bedside of the sick child or they take distance as if they were prematurely mourning the possible decease of their sick child. This happens because they cannot deal with the child’s illness.

Both behaviours have the same consequence in such a way that they prevent a counsellor from giving moral support to a hospitalised child as any counsellor -from any philosophy or religion-needs the parents’ authorisation so as to be granted the right to visit the sick child.

How these attitudes are explained?

Parents whose children are sick often feel guilt if they ask other persons to take care of them. They feel as if they were responsible for their child's condition. However, they need to rest and relax.

Moreover, they often have other children and/or elderly parents requiring their assistance and, they end up by being neglected.

In view of this, parents of sick children should accept the help of a counsellor who could take turns with them so as to tell a history to the child and/or listen to their turmoil and confusion as they can sometimes hide it from their parents so as to do not add to their anxiety.

As for parents who are not able to deal with the illness of their child and end up by taking distance, the counsellor can help them and their sick child by an attentive and fraternal listening. It will ease the difficulties of these painful moments.

You can find the listing of Brussels hospitals supporting services on the topic "services dans les hôpitaux".