Counseling Parents of Special Children: Insight from Resilient Parents

Abstract

Resilience is the ability to “bounce back” from adversity. Resilience research shifts our focus from the stress response to coping response. ‘Human agency’ takes center stage, which can be understood as making choices and taking actions intentionally. Defining resilience, as the ability of individuals to navigate their way to psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources in a culturally meaningful way to sustain their wellbeing, will be more meaningful in the Indian context. Factors leading to parental resilience are explored in the context of Indian society, with specific reference to Mumbai city, where the research has been done. This chapter summarizes the factors that both hinder and favor resilience and discusses the role of counselors in this process.