The world of
adolescent and child mental health is frequently confusing and unfamiliar. It can be very hard to determine whether or
not therapy is something your child may benefit from. Searching for the best treatment is also hard
since it can be so difficult to know who your child's well-being can be trusted
with and whether or not the prescribed treatment is going to be effective. That is why it is so important to acquire the
knowledge you need so that you will know the right questions to ask and know
what you should be looking for in a therapist - and the things you need to
avoid. When it comes to mental health
treatment, this will help to clear up some of the confusion.
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| image:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_therapies |
Questions
You Should Ask When Choosing A Psychologist:
Is the Individual a Licensed Therapist?
It is very
misleading for somebody to claim to be a "therapist" without having
the proper training and licensing, however, many people do. Although some providers do declare they are
therapists, truthfully, they do not have the professional license that states
they are fit for treating the mental health disorders of children. Without that
license, there aren't any assurances that the person has received any type of
training. Having a professional license
ensures that the person follows their state's legal and ethical codes as well
as that they have undergone formal mental health education and training.
You can
determine whether or not a specific therapist is licensed by reviewing the
description on their website or the title used with their name. Each state has its own licensure boards for
every kind of mental health license that allows you to confirm whether or not a
therapist is licensed and whether or not the board has taken any action against
the therapist at any time for ethical violations. When searching for a therapist for your
child, you should look for someone who has one of the following titles:
● Licensed marital and family
therapist
● Licensed counselor
● Licensed social worker
● Licensed psychiatrist
● Licensed psychologist
What Treatments does the Therapist Provide?
A variety of
treatments are offered by children's
mental health professionals.
However, it is very important to understand that all therapies are not
created equal or the same. Research
supports using specific therapies for other therapies for different disorders
or behaviors. That is why it is
important for parents to ask whether there is scientific evidence to support a
specific treatment before their child is treated with it.
Is The Therapist Willing To Offer A Treatment Plan?
A detailed
treatment plan should be outlined by the therapist that includes everything
they are planning to do, as well as how your child's difficulties are going to
be specifically addressed by the treatment.
The plan also should clearly outline the benchmarks for whatever
progress is made throughout the overall treatment process and inform you on how
long the treatment will last. When
progress is tracked that also helps you make a determination on whether or not
the treatment needs to be modified or continued. If a treatment plan is not provided to you by
the therapist ask how they are planning to determine whether or not their treatment
is effective.
Potential Red Flags to Watch For When Selecting a Child
Therapist
Always
Remember That if Something Sounds Like It's Too Good To Be True, Then Most
Likely It Is
Parents need
to look for different warning signs when they are selecting a therapist for
their child. First of all, if a
therapist makes a promise they can use one type of therapy for treating many
different disorders, then there is a good chance it's too good to be true. For instance, there was a therapy website
that made the claim that the same approach could be using for treating
dementia, marital conflict, depression, and ADHD 0 which are four entirely
different problems. It is unlike that
this type of statement is truthful.
Second of all,
they claim to know something nobody else knows.
If any therapist claims they have the secret to getting rid of your
child's anxiety or that nobody else can offer the same kind of treatment, then
most likely this is a very misleading sales tactic. Also, if in the treatment plan; they are
proposing appears to work against conventional wisdom then that is a red flag,
or if they recommend treatments that science does not support. For instance, if they try to claim that pharmaceutical
companies want to prevent you from knowing about the treatment since it would
cause their profits to drop or that scientists have conspired to prevent you
from knowing about a treatment - then usually they are untrue and misleading.
They Promise You The World
The reason why
a majority of therapist become part of the profession is due to wanting to help
children who have mental health disorders.
But there might be some who make empty promises to families and
children. If a therapist promises
dramatic, quick results, then it is a good idea to take a step back and see
what they actually are offering to you.
There is a good chance that those types of promised results aren't
achievable or practical and should be avoided.
Another
potential warning sign is when a therapist claims that a specific type of
therapy is going to take years before any progress is shown. Although there are some childhood conditions,
like autism-spectrum disorders, where long-term treatment is required, there
are numerous research-supported treatments that only take 12-16 sessions. So if a therapist is recommending a treatment
that will take longer than that, the parent will need to ask more questions to
find out why it is going to last that long, what specific benchmarks will be
met by their child along the way, and how much the treatment is going to
cost.
The Therapist
Doesn't Rely on Scientific Research
If a therapist
relies mainly on testimonials rather than research then that is definitely a
concern. For example, rather than research supporting the treatment, there are
some therapists that will furnish quotes from patients to show that a treatment
is effective. Although it is nice
hearing that past clients were satisfied with a treatment, it can be hard to know
how many patients were unhappy that are not being cited.
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