Jessica Alba says she goes to therapy with her daughters so she can 'be a better parent'

• Jessica Alba says she goes to therapy with her daughters so she can learn to "be a better parent."
• The actor opened up about the benefits of therapy in an interview with Real Simple.
• "I wanted there to be someone who could explain things in a way I couldn't," Alba said.

Jessica Alba says she attends therapy with her daughters to learn to "be a better parent."

In an interview with Real Simple, the actor spoke about mental wellness and how therapy has helped her better manage her emotions.

Alba said the idea of going to therapy with her kids first occurred to her when she had constant disagreements with her eldest daughter, Honor, "about dumb stuff."

"And I was like, I don't want to live like this. This is not fun. I didn't want us to have a wedge between us," Alba told Real Simple. "As her mother, when I say something, she's going to hear it as an argument or as me trying to control her."

Having a therapist meant that there would be an objective person involved in their discussions, she added.

"I wanted there to be someone who could explain things in a way I couldn't," Alba said. "What I said to Honor was, 'I want to be a better parent to you, and this is your forum to basically talk about everything that gets on your nerves that I do.'"

The 42-year-old then admitted that the therapy sessions were effective in helping them find a middle ground during conflict.

"It gave her a little bit of perspective too — that I'm not the bad guy; I'm just being a parent," Alba said, referring to how therapy has helped her daughter.

It also put Alba "in check" and made her realize her shortcomings as a parent.

"And the therapist allowed me to see that it's natural for kids to disagree with their parents, and as a parent, it's not always about being right or rational in that moment," she added.

Alba married film producer Cash Warren in 2008, and they have three kids together: two daughters, Honor, 15, and Haven, 12, and one son, Hayes, 6.

This is not the first time that Alba has spoken about going to therapy with her daughters.

In 2021, Alba told People she wanted to "destigmatize" the idea of attending therapy together.

"It really is: How can I show up as a mom for my kids and be the best parent for her?" Alba told People. "There really isn't one sort of recipe that works across the board."