FAQs About Child Therapists in St. Louis
As a parent there are so many things that you learn about in order to help your child navigate the world in the best way possible. One helpful tool that can be easily overlooked is working with a child therapist.
You want to find the right help for your child.
Finding a child therapist can be a daunting task. Luckily, we have put some tips together for you here. But before you start the search for a child therapist in St. Louis, you might have some questions about child therapy. Here are some common questions and answers that we get at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis.
Image Credit: Unsplash, Sebastian Pandelache @pandelache
What is Child Therapy in St. Louis?
Child therapy is a mental health approach that is tailored specifically for children and their unique needs.
Child therapy helps children address emotional, behavioral and developmental needs including anxiety, depression, trauma, difficulty family dynamics and school concerns. Approaches like CBT, TF-CBT, play therapy and art therapy are often used. Read more about what a child therapist does here.
What is the difference between a child therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist?
A child therapist is a licensed mental health professional that provides counseling services using different therapeutic approaches to help children build skills to address emotional, behavioral and developmental needs.
A child psychologist is a licensed professional that can perform many tests that analyze psychological, intellectual, cognitive, and behavioral issues as well as provide counseling services.
A child psychiatrist is a medical doctor that specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health disorders. They often focus on medication management for mental health disorders.
How long does child therapy in St. Louis take?
Here at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, we start our clients with 12 weekly sessions. We have found that this amount of time allows our clients to build a strong relationship with their therapist, learn new skills and practice those skills to meet the goals that are set at the beginning of counseling.
Some clients are ready to graduate from counseling after 12 sessions because they have met their goals. Some clients may decide to continue meetings past 12 sessions. This is an ongoing conversation with you, your child and your therapist. Whenever you decide that your goals have been met, the door is open to return for booster sessions in the future.
Can I be involved in my child’s therapy?
You want to make sure that your child is receiving the best therapy possible. Most child therapists will invite your input and want to hear what you have been observing about your child.
When meeting with a potential child therapist in St. Louis, you can ask the therapist how they will keep you involved as well as how you can support the work being done in session at home.
At Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, our therapists meet with parents each session and track progress scores each and every session. Meeting with parents frequently helps to keep everyone in the loop and helps the therapist to have a full understanding of the child's life and struggles.
Is it just your kid, or do you need help, too?
Seeing your child struggle can make you feel powerless. Parents need support, too - which is why Compassionate Counseling St. Louis offers Therapeutic Parent Coaching.
How do I connect with a child therapist in St. Louis?
If you’re wondering if child therapy is the best next step for you and your family, we’d love to chat. We’ll discuss what’s going on, what we’d recommend, and figure out if Compassionate Counseling St. Louis is the best fit. Even if we aren’t, we have a robust referral network of other therapists that we can connect you with.
Curious to hear more, or are you a little reluctant about counseling? Compassionate Counseling St. Louis provides specialized anger management and anxiety therapy in St. Louis for kids, teens, and college students. We work in Clayton, MO and serve kids, teens, and college students throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Ladue, University City, Town and Country, Webster Groves, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood. You can set up your free phone screening to see if we’re a good fit for your needs right on our website.
