Preparing your child for therapy tip #6

6) Hire a therapist that has a specialty in child and adolescent modalities.

It is important that your child enters this new journey with a therapist that is familiar with treating children. It is not enough for them to decide that they will take on your special case-be sure that they typically treat this population. What does this mean? It means that they understand current trends, pop-culture amongst this population and generally like children and teens. It is an added burden for a kid or teen to explain generational differences to their therapist. A good counselor for kids or teens needs to care about current events when it comes to young people.

Preparing your child for therapy tip #5

5) Find books and resources for children about therapy.

Information is power. If a child has resources at their disposal they are apt to feel more comfortable with the process. Resources can include podcasts, blogs, children’s books, magazines and more. Some therapists might offer workshops and lunch & learn opportunities for families. Be sure to ask if your clinician has any suggestions.

Preparing your child for therapy Tip #4

4) Listen to their concerns.

What makes this process scary for your kid? Are they nervous about meeting a stranger to talk to? Are they embarrassed? Ask them. Hear their fears and don’t worry about reassuring them right away. You need to know what they think about the idea of therapy and if they share specifics it is important to understand their concerns. When parents listen they become a great model and example of one of the biggest benefits of therapy.

Preparing your child for therapy Tip #3

3) Explain the therapy process.

Talk to your child about the specific therapy that they will be receiving. If it is play therapy for example, ask the potential counselor for a fact sheet about his/her practice before your child meets their new practitioner. Research the topic online and try to find Youtube clips or supportive apps that can provide a good explanation to your child about what therapy is. This is also a great time to empower your child to think about what they would want to talk about in their sessions. Many young people feel like they have to keep many thoughts and feelings bottled inside-help them to understand that this is a special time for them to feel free to express their hidden thoughts with someone who wants to listen and help.

How to prepare your child for therapy Tip #2

2) Be honest about your own limitations.

Make sure that your child knows that although you are 100% committed to helping them. It is important that they know that you are dedicated to being there for them. This is a great opportunity to let them know that we all need help sometimes and the best way that you can help them is to bring in a professional who can help the entire family.