All counselors are not created equal when it comes to achieving success with a teen. Only if a therapist has a detailed working knowledge of adolescent counseling is he likely to be successful in obtaining the best results for an adolescent.
Although it can be difficult to find the right counselor, I’m sure you want to know the best ways to find what type of counselor is likely to get your child back on track.
The initial group of expert therapists is drawn from local professionals such as psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and mental health counselors who are licensed to practice independently.
Remember, the right child and adolescent counseling professionals are not only helpful; they are crucial to the long-term success of your teens.
Many counselors or therapists may be successful with your child for a short time. With enough personality and a few good jokes, most therapists can create some short-term success stories. But it must not stop there.
Jokes and gentle reading only work for so long. It’s important that your teen’s counselor set the right foundation for your teen’s stability for years to come.
Remember, you’re not just looking to solve your child’s problem behavior for a few days; you are looking to create long-term stability in your personal relationships, academic success, and your future family and vocational life.
To eliminate your teen’s anxiety, aggression, or other behavioral problems, counselors analyze what may be causing specific problems and then skillfully apply their expertise, experience, and credentials to solve them in the long run.
Important questions: Does your teen counselor help you by being available after school or on weekends, or do you have to fight to get an appointment every time he or she can accommodate you? Is he/she part of your insurance plan? Do you have more than 10 years of experience treating adolescents? Will he or she be able to build a strong relationship with their child or will the child just roll their eyes?
At the initial consultation, an experienced child and adolescent therapist should consult with you to assess what your child’s specific problems are, what feelings and behaviors need to be eliminated, what needs to be reinforced, and what goals need to be reinforced. With her input, he or she will establish a clear treatment plan, one that you can understand. He will return your phone calls right away and even contact your child’s teachers if needed.
Psychiatrists have a medical degree and receive very little training in child counseling. They are mainly used to prescribe psychoactive medications.
Psychologists, on the other hand, have a doctorate in counseling or psychology and are primarily trained to provide therapy, counseling, and research and evaluation services. Social workers have earned a master’s degree in social work and are typically trained in counseling and community social work; mental health counselors have a master’s degree with most of their training in counseling.
The best therapists maintain constant communication with you and will encourage you to do the same. They will guide you and the teachers on ways to manage your child’s behavior that will have the greatest chance of success.
Most likely, the treatment plan will encourage you to change the way you say what you say to your child. The treatment plan will be driven by your child’s most powerful motivators, thus encouraging active cooperation rather than resistance. Using effective communication skills, consequence programming, and strengths targeting, an expert counselor can help you transform your teen from self-defeating to self-actualizing.
What is the easiest way to find the right child psychologist or counselor? Simply do an Internet search using some or all of these keywords: child, teen, counselor, teen, psychologist (and your location), for example, Woodstock or Cary, Illinois.
Remember: check years of experience, percentage of practice dedicated to teens (must be at least 25%), state license, and acceptance of your insurance plan.