Dr. Henry Paul, MD

Psychiatrist, Author and Educator

Tag Archives: child psychologist

HOW TO CHOOSE A THERAPIST FOR YOUR CHILD

December 4th, 2013

Once you realize that your child needs professional help the next step is finding that help. There are various types of therapy that are generally recommended for specific psychiatric disorders. At first glance, those therapies cover a bewildering range not only of the conditions they are designed to treat but of the philosophies and techniques they employ to treat them. What criteria does a parent use to choose?

Help is relatively easy to find; through your doctor, your child’s school, your local hospital or medical clinic, your religious organization or the local mental health organization in your municipality. Ideally every child or teen should receive a broad based clinical mental health evaluation. This entails the family and child being interviewed. A child/teenage psychiatrist (one who has done a residency or fellowship in child/adolescent psychiatry) is the most broadly trained of all the child mental professionals and can spot the need for possible medication right away. They can also provide psychotherapy if needed. Many locales do not have a psychiatrist, and in that case other mental health professionals can perform the evaluation and therapy as well. Licensed psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurse specialists and mental health counselors all work in this area. The important thing to remember is that they need to have had special training and experience in working with young people. Do the research before you choose.

The next thing to consider is recommendations from others who have sought help from the individual. Did it help? Was he/she available when needed?

Lastly, trust your gut. After meeting with the therapist ask yourself how comfortable you and your child are. What was the atmosphere? Was he/she flexible regarding times? Ask about his/her understanding of the problem. How long should the treatment last?  What will you look for as far as progress is concerned?  Ask all you can if medication is prescribed– side effects, how to take it, what symptoms are being targeted and how to go off it.

Sometimes just one visit can be clarifying – the therapist may have so much knowledge of your child’s minor problem that direction can be given on the spot, and that may be all the therapeutic advice you need. Maybe just the parents need some education and counseling. For more serious issues, longer-term therapy for the child/teen might be needed. The family is usually included especially for pre-teens. Ask about fees and insurance, too.

 

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.

I THINK MY CHILD IS A BULLY!

October 24th, 2013

According to an NBC News story, two female students, aged 12 and 14, are accused by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd of “maliciously harassing”  12 year-old, Florida teen, Rebecca Sedwick with verbal and physical abuse and cyber-bullying her until she took her own life.  In the Nevada slaying bullying might have also played a role.

These are both sad stories, but even sadder is the fact that stories like this are becoming more and more common; forcing many of us to face the grim reality that bullying is a significant problem in this country.  There are two sides to bullying; those who are bullied and those who do the bullying.  Today I want to discuss what to do if you think your child is a bully.

The bully and the bullied are cousins under the skin.  Each deals with crippling insecurity and feelings of helplessness.  In the bully’s case, the child often sees bullying at home, and identifies with it and acts it out.  In the case of the bullied child, anxiety feels paralyzing and passivity and victim status develops.   While most likely no child entirely escapes some experience of bullying or being bullied, and the net effects don’t generally have a lasting debilitating effect, bullying can become a severe problem or be part of a larger problem.  What should you do if you suspect your child is a bully?

  1. Be sure you are not a bully yourself!  You must first be sure that you are not providing a model for his or her behavior.  This is always one of the most difficult parts of being a good parent: examining your own behavior for the example it may be providing your children.  Also, corporal punishment has no place in a healthy family.  It teaches the child one lesson: that you can get what you want through physical force.
  2. Be sure to check if the bullying behavior is part of an overall behavior problem, which might include violation of many different rules.   If your child can’t stop being a bully – if he or she compulsively or repetitively bullies other children – your child needs help, especially if he or she has a general conduct disorder.    You may want to start with the school’s guidance counselor, and/or then pursue a mental health-care professional.  The quicker bullying is dealt with the better.
  3. Empower your child by directing him or her toward activities that will increase his or her self-esteem.
  4. Be aware of what your kids are doing online.   Ask to “friend” or “follow” them online, or ask another parent to do so, if your child is resistant to you.  Know who they are talking to and what kind of technology they are using.

Remember, parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.