What’s wrong, and how do we help? Getting children the right mental-health support.

This article provides an informative guide about how to approach your child who might need mental health support.  An important section addresses how to find a professional with whom your child will connect.  From the article:

How do you find an expert your child will connect with?

1. Research therapists who specialize in children and adolescent mental health. Check online whether they’re listed in Psychology Today’stherapist network. It’s a great resource because you can read what the therapist says about their approach.
2. Contact each one of them to ask whether they will have a short conversation on the phone with your child — more than 10 minutes — to see whether it’s a good fit.
3. Don’t assume you have to find a therapist that looks like your child. If at all possible, include in your list men and women, an older person and a younger person. You never know who your child will connect with.
4. Ask your child to prepare their own questions so that they have a voice in the process. But just in case they don’t want to do that, here are a few they can use:

• How would the therapist describe their style?
• How does the therapist see their role between parent and child? For example, at what point will they notify a parent about something that has come up in a session? How do they understand mandatory reporting? You want someone who has a clear understanding of the boundaries between therapist, parent and child.
• What are the therapist’s areas of specialization?
• Why do they work with teens? What do they find most rewarding? What do they find most challenging?

The full article can be found here.