You’ve decided that counseling might be needed for your kiddo. Now what?
Here are a few ideas to get you started talking to your child about going to counseling:
We are going to go meet with a counselor. Her name is Celia Carter and she works with kids (who are feeling anxious OR who do not like to go to school OR who are sad OR whose mom and dad don’t live together anymore, etc). She will be talking to you, doing art with you, and will probably even play with you. You can talk to her about anything that is on your mind.
I know that you have been having a hard time lately. We are going to go see Celia Carter, who is a counselor. Her job is to help kiddos like you with their worries, fears, and feelings. You can tell her anything.
For your older child or teen:
You seem like you are feeling pretty anxious, miserable, sad, etc. Let’s do something about it. I have found a counselor, and I’d like for us to look at her information together to see what you think about talking to her. You would be able to tell her anything.
For an already anxious child or teen, starting counseling may produce more anxiety for them. It’s ok to say to them “I know that you are nervous. One of the goals of meeting with a counselor is to help you learn to manage your anxiety.”
A few other important things to note about preparing your child:
- Don’t surprise your child with counseling. Children, of any age, benefit from being told in advance about their appointments and about the timeline of events. The timeline might look like driving to the appointment, waiting in the waiting room that has toys and art supplies, going into the counselor’s office where the counselor will ask questions about their life, family, and emotions and might do an activity with them, and then scheduling the next appointment. The first appointment should last about 50-60 minutes.
- Show them pictures of their counselor and the office space. This will help them know the physical environment that they are walking into for that first appointment.
- Explain confidentiality. Let them know that what they talk about in counseling is private and confidential — unless there is a safety concern.
- Allow your child to ask questions about counseling. If there are questions that you cannot answer, please ask your counselor prior to the first appointment.
- Especially for teens, let them know that the counselor is on their side. Sometimes teens initially think of counselors as being like parents or teachers. Helping them see that their counselor is an advocate for them may help them feel more comfortable initially.
- Be supportive. Let your child know that you are proud of them for taking the steps to work on their anxiety.
- Normalize the experience. Maybe you or someone that they know has been to counseling. Feel free to share that so that they know that they are not alone in this process.
If you are ready to take the next step and get started with counseling for your anxious child or teen, please click here and complete the new client form.