Seeking Therapy for Your Child: Every Parent has a Different Journey

There comes a time in many parents’ lives when they have difficulties managing difficult behavior or notice that their child is struggling with life. Is your child noncompliant and/or have difficulties following rules? Are they afraid to go to school or be around unfamiliar people? Does your child have difficulties completing school work or staying focused in the classroom? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, a psychologist or therapist may be useful to help address these concerns and improve you and your child’s lifestyle.

As a licensed psychologist, I have been working with children and families for years to address a number of concerns such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, anger difficulties, noncompliance, and social skills difficulties. For most of these families, these problems are not recent and they have been struggles to cope with their concerns for six to twelve months. Although these difficulties can still be address no matter the time frame when you decide to seek treatment, early intervention or recognition helps prevent further difficulties.

Over the years of providing treatment and conducting research on help-seeking behaviors, I have learned that a number of factors impact a parents decision to seek treatment including, problem severity, cost, proximity to providers, stigma towards mental health professionals, and lack of education regarding appropriateness of services. Below are a few things to keep in mind when considering what is the right time to seek therapy (this list is just a starting point!).

v  Does the behavior or identified concern prevent you or your child from engaging in a typical day?

v  Is your child complaining of difficulties more days than not (e.g., is the behavior present frequently during a given week)?

v  Does your child need additional coping strategies to live a happy life?

v  Are there any declines in your child’s emotions (e.g., does your child seem less outgoing or happy than typical)?

v  Does your child’s teacher report declines in your child’s grades?

v  Are you (as a parent) feeling more stressed then normal to help manage your child’s behavior or emotions?

If your answer is yes to some of these questions, consider talking to a psychologist or therapist to help you and your family. When contacting a professional for help, feel free to ask about coming in to see if the services are what you are looking for. You can refer to the following websites to locate a psychologist in your area.

http://locator.apa.org

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/getting-help-locate-services/index.shtml

Contact: Erlanger Turner

Written 5/16/12

© Copyright 2012 Erlanger A. Turner