It would be nice if there was an easily accessible and reliable list containing all the names of therapists in your area who are a.) skilled at working with children and adolescents and b.) actually accepting new patients! Maybe one day this magical yet elusive “list” will become a reality. For the time being, however, finding the right therapist for your child can be a tedious undertaking. From insurance limitations, financial costs, to persuading your child to give therapy a try, there are many barriers to accessing quality child therapy. To complicate the picture, at the time of this writing, the demand for pediatric mental health services is at an all time high. As a clinical child psychologist, I’ve observed countless parents struggle to find the right therapeutic fit for their child. With the hope of minimizing this struggle, I outline a five points to consider when searching for a child therapist. Note that the terms “child” or “children” are meant to encompass both children and adolescents.
Ask People ‘In the Know’
Start by consulting with people in your community who routinely refer children to therapy. Two great examples of such professionals are pediatricians and school guidance counselors. Your pediatrician or school guidance counselor should at minimum be familiar with child therapists in the community. It is not uncommon for pediatricians to provide the family with a “referral list” containing a number of mental health providers in your community. While this is a great start, I recommend directly asking your pediatrician or school counselor to identify specific therapists who are skilled at and specialize in working with children. If you have no luck consulting with professionals in your community, online therapist directories make for a good start as well (e.g., psychologytoday.com). Such directories have user friendly search tools that allow the consumer to narrow down their search and find the most optimal fit.
If Possible, Find a Specialist
Childhood is a unique developmental period which often translates to a unique set of therapeutic needs. Thus, providing therapy services to children is a skillset that requires specialized training. Once you have narrowed down your search and are armed with a few names, consult their website and see if the prospective therapist identifies childhood mental health as one of their specialty areas. With that said, specialization in child therapy should not be a dealbreaker when vetting a prospective therapist. Although it certainly can be comforting to know that your teen is seeing a specialist, there are many therapists, specialists and generalists alike, who are skilled at working with children.
If Someone is Full, Politely Insist on a Referral
It pains me to hear a parent tell me they have called countless therapists, all of whom have stated they are not accepting new patients. For a variety of reasons that are beyond the scope of this article, we are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis in our children. Therefore, many pediatric providers have full caseloads and long wait lists. When I have a full caseload, I consider it a duty of mine to know at least one qualified provider who is accepting new patients. Therefore, if a prospective therapist tells you they are not accepting new patients, ask them to recommend at least two specific therapists in the community.
Date Around
If you have the time and/or resources, I recommend trying out a few therapists to ensure you find the best fit. Oftentimes therapists will offer a free 10-15 minute phone consultation. As you talk to different therapists, ask yourself, “is this someone who my child would connect with?” While clinical skills and experience are important qualities in therapists, the therapeutic relationship is paramount. Before any therapist can utilize their well-honed clinical skills, an authentic connection with the child must first be established. Research has consistently shown this “therapeutic connection” to be one of the strongest predictors of treatment success.
Let your Child have a voice
Finally, ensure your child has a say and a sense of control over the search process. Feel free to elicit preferences from your child whether it be therapist gender, virtual versus in-personal services, etc. I have found that even if it’s not the child’s idea to start therapy, having a voice in the search process can promote more buy-in from your child.
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This is an updated and modified version of an article Dr. Sam originally published in the Los Angeles Center for Well Being’s blog (see askdrstephanie.com for more info)
