When your child’s symptoms indicate a need for therapy due
to a mental or emotional condition, it can seem quite difficult to find the
person best suited for the task. A medical doctor or school counselor may have
offered a referral, and that’s a good place to start, but it’s important to
locate a therapist who is a good fit for your child.
We’ll first deal with the questions you can use to filter
your search. It’s appropriate, as you make inquiries, to ask what experience
the therapist has in treating your child’s specific disorder. For your own
comfort level, it’s also important to know the method of treatment they will be
employing. Will they rely primarily on medication to relieve your child’s
symptoms? Are they open to alternative therapies like biofeedback? Asking those
kinds of questions during your research can help you better understand the
qualifications and background of individual therapists.
As you begin your search for the right therapist for your
child, you have several sources of information at your disposal. Most medical
society directories have ratings and background information on doctors in every
type of practice.
If you are in a support group for parents whose children
have a specific condition, asking other parents about their experiences with
therapists can be helpful. As mentioned previously, your child’s medical doctor
can provide information on therapists that patients have been referred to in
the past. In the same way, the counselor at your child’s school may be able to
provide details about child therapists to which students have been referred.
Another source of information regarding therapists is the
abundance of directories available online. Some directories are maintained by
professional organizations to which therapists may belong. Others may offer
clinicians the opportunity to provide detailed profiles with their education,
licensing, and areas of specialty to prospective clients.
It is helpful to know, as you read through a therapist’s
profile, what their credentials indicate, because counseling professionals come
from varied educational backgrounds. LCMFT, for example, indicates the
therapist is a Licensed Clinical Marriage & Family Therapist. The credentials LCPC mean that the therapist
is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with a Masters degree in
psychology. LMSW would indicate they are a Licensed Master Social Worker.
Regardless of credentials, the therapist who is right for
your child is the one who employs effective strategies to bring relief. Do your
homework, choose the therapist you believe will relate best to your child and
look forward to a brighter future for your child.
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