Should my child meet with a child psychologist?

Different children have different needs when it comes to meeting with a psychologist vs. a psychiatrist vs. a therapist or counselor. I reached out to my colleague Dr. Kezia Coleman, and she graciously shared information on her practice here in St. Louis.

As a psychologist, Kezia provides both psychological testing (to official diagnose you or your child with what is going on from a psychological perspective), educational testing (to provide an educational diagnosis that is used when creating IEP’s or school behavioral intervention plans), along with providing clinical therapy to select families.

Why did you choose to become a psychologist in St. Louis?

I have wanted to be a psychologist since I took AP Psychology in high school! Yes, I wanted to help people (cliché, I know), but I also enjoy supporting people as they navigate difficult situations and events; life is difficult, and I know I would not be where I am today without help! I decided to stay in St. Louis after completing a yearlong postdoctoral fellowship through UMSL, after falling in love with the STL diversity, people, and food!

What kind of treatment do you provide? 

I provide comprehensive psychological and educational assessments for children and young adults. I also provide individual and family therapy, generally using a cognitive-behavioral approach.

Parenting an anxious child can be anxiety provoking in and of itself.

And if you’re a parent who is already prone to anxiety, seeing your child develop their anxiety can bring up some uncomfortable emotions for yourself. Many parents I work with report feeling guilt, shame, anger, frustration, fear, sadness, and so on about the impact that their anxiety has on their kids.

But what if we took a step back from all the shame and guilt?

Let’s figure out what goes into anxiety before blaming ourselves.