Dr. Henry Paul, MD

Psychiatrist, Author and Educator

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.