The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of parents of children with emotional and behavioral disorders
in the process of traditional treatment and integrated therapy after their awareness of their children's problems by making a
qualitative research. It's specifically meant to investigate the meaning of their experience and the changes of their children
during the treatment process. The subjects in this study were eight parents of children with emotional and behavioral
disorders who were selected by sampling. The parents had their children receive both traditional treatment and integrated
therapy. Data were gathered by having FGI and in-depth interview. The experience of the parents who had children with
emotional and behavioral disorders was categorized into three: problem awareness, experience of traditional treatment and
experience of integrated therapy. The findings of the study were as follows: In the stage of problem awareness, the parents
didn't feel there was anything wrong with their children's behavior, but they were thrown into confusion as they were
informed by people around them about it. They became intimidated, being quite worried about their children. They felt
alienated and underwent negative emotion due to poor understanding of their acquaintances, and they were under heavy
parenting pressure, which led to severe depression or suicide attempt. In the stage of traditional treatment, they had little
accurate information on treatment methods or medical care centers available for their children, and then they met different
therapists through various channels. In the process of treatment, they felt guilty, viewing themselves as “problem parents,”
due to insufficient explanation by the experts, uneasy relationship with them and some experts who focused on the cause of
the problem. They complained about financial hardship since continuing treatment cost put a strain on them, and some of
them decided to stop receiving treatment. In the stage of integrated therapy, the parents got to understand their children
thanks to open treatment environments and open-minded counseling, and they looked back on “themselves as parents.”
There was a change in their way of looking at their children's problems, and they viewed them as “persons.” Sustained
counseling and parent education made it possible for them to change their parenting style and feel more energetic.
Moreover, they were provided with supporters and resources available, such as therapists, medical care centers or self-help
gathering of mothers. When all their families received integrated therapy together, there also was a positive change in their
family relations. The parent found their children changed while they received integrated therapy. Their changes were
“mingling with friends,” “having confidence,” “doing something by themselves,” “anger control” and “expressing themselves.”
Given the findings of the study, a unified support system should be established to provide accurate information for parents
who raise children with emotional and behavioral disorders not to be thrown into confusion in the initial stage of problem
awareness, and systemized professional, integrated treatment service should be offered.