Child psychologist

Ask A Therapist OnlineChild psychologist
Tom asked 11 years ago

My ex wife wants our daughter to go to a child psychologist. I agree. My question is: Is it standard operating procedure for the parents to have a session with the psychologist first? Allowing us to explain what’s transpired. Or is that not necessary?

1 Answers
Insight Psychological Staff answered 2 years ago

Thank you for reaching out to us.

Your questions are common for many parents who are exploring therapy for their child, so I’m going to talk about the process of therapy for children.

When looking to book with one of our child psychologists, the standard procedure is dependent on the psychologist themselves. Consent forms from parents and guardians will be completed online before coming in for the child’s first appointment. There will be some time at the beginning of the session that the psychologist may need to meet with the parents for any additional consent forms. During that time, there’s also time for parents to talk with the psychologist about what brings their child into therapy, and shared goals as well.

Depending on the psychologist and the child’s age, the psychologist may want a session with just parents or with parents and their child together. Again, this will vary based on the psychologist’s style and what parents and their child are looking for. Within the conversation, the psychologist will first talk about limits of confidentiality and the consent process of therapy.

The limits of confidentiality are times when information cannot be kept confidential between the psychologist and the client. They include:

  • If an individual indicates risk to self or others
  • If abuse of a vulnerable population is disclosed, or
  • If information is subpoenaed through the court system.

This will be discussed with both the parents as well as the child to ensure that everyone understands this. There will also be a discussion about what information will be shared with the parents and how it will be shared. Then the conversation can continue about what brings the child into therapy and questions that are relevant to what has happened. This conversation may also look different depending on the age of the child or teenager. If the child is older, then meeting with the parents may be a shorter duration and what is shared with the parents may be different to facilitate a more trusting relationship between the teenager and the therapist.

Thank you again for reaching out. If you would like more information about getting support for your child, we have many knowledgeable and compassionate child psychologists at Insight Psychological at all of our locations that specialize in various areas related to children’s mental health.

To learn more about preparing your child for therapy, click here.