Do counselors judge parents parenting?

I know that for lots of people it’s scary to bring your parenting concerns to a counselor. You’re already worried about your son or daughter and then you have to bring your concerns to a stranger in the hopes they can help. It’s never fun coming to experts and saying, “Hey, I’m stuck and I’m scared and I need help.” But it’s even harder when we’re looking for support over something as emotionally fraught as parenting. Especially since most of us already get criticism from friends or family or teachers or some know-it-all magazine or Dr. Phil.

Ugh.

I want to reassure you that I don’t look at parents with an eye to catch them out doing something wrong (and none of the therapists I run around with do this either). I mean, I’m a parent, too, and I know how judgment feels (lousy and unhelpful) so why would I want to visit that on my client