How to choose a psychologist for a child

There are situations when you can't do without a psychologist. Anxious parents rush to look for a specialist in acquaintances, but is it right? There are a lot of psychological problems, and different approaches, competencies, and experience are required to solve them. Therefore, it is still better to choose a psychologist not at random, but according to clear criteria. For which — read in our article.

In which cases a psychologist is neededMany parents think that a psychologist is a kind of magician who will teach a child to behave correctly, to be obedient and comfortable.

In fact, this is not the case. The task of the specialist is to understand the problem and try to solve it. But whether it will happen again in the future depends only on the parents and the child himself. 

What problems do they turn to a child psychologist with?:Aggression, uncontrolled behavior, tantrums, resentment.

• Bad habits, obsessive movements.
• Fears, anxiety, nervous excitability.
• Hyperactivity, reduced attention.
• Problems with parents, friends, at school, in children's groups.
• Developmental disorders.
• Psychosomatic problems, etc.

Also read: How to protect a child from bad influence from other peopleWhere to look for a psychologist

The easiest option is to type the query "child psychologist / city /" in the search engine and follow the suggested links.

Among them will be the so—called aggregators - sites with information about specialists. Pay attention to the rating of the psychologist and the reviews of his clients. 

If you have settled on a particular specialist, try to find his website or pages in social networks. There you can read about his methods of work, experience. 

Acquaintances of acquaintancesThe main difficulty in finding a specialist through acquaintances is that people are not always willing to share that they had to resort to the help of a psychologist.

Especially when it comes to complex cases: child suicide, deep depression, etc. 

In addition, psychologists themselves avoid working with acquaintances of acquaintances. Here it is already a matter of the risk of imposing a personal imprint, and the psychologist must be objective and impartial.Difficulties also arise with the selection of a specialist to solve a specific problem.

If some psychologist helped a friend's child cope with night terrors, it is not a fact that he will solve the problem of enuresis or obsessive states in your baby.

Education and qualification of a psychologistA psychologist should have a higher specialized education.

Let's say a diploma of professional retraining. Give preference to specialists who improve their skills as part of additional training in selected areas of psychology. 

Every psychologist has one or more main areas of work.

For example, gestalt therapy, art therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc. Each direction has its pros and cons in relation to a specific problem, so choose what is closer to you personally. And remember — if one method did not help, it does not mean that the other will not help. Here it is necessary to go through trial and error.

Professional community of psychologistsAsk the specialist if he is a member of any association or other association of psychologists.

Why is this important? 

Members of professional communities are psychologists with a confirmed status.

Such associations are not accepted without appropriate education. They monitor compliance with professional ethics and confidentiality principles, since the personal reputation of the participants affects the status of the organization itself.

Supervisor Professional help of colleagues is actively used to maintain high standards of psychological practice.

More experienced specialists with high competence accompany young psychologists. They help to find a solution for difficult moments in work, discuss issues of improving the quality of services, teach how to avoid professional burnout, etc. 

Ask if your psychologist is undergoing regular supervision or if he has a permanent mentor. 

Moral and ethical qualities of a psychologistA psychologist is required to be as tactful as possible, to be able to win over a child, to arouse his trust and desire to share his fears / problems.

Who exactly should not be contacted is a specialist who:

• allows himself to be rude or rude in conversation with parents or a child;
• devalues what you say;
• puts forward hypotheses and diagnoses in advance without seeing the child;
• does not adhere to the principle of confidentiality;
• does not explain his methods of work, ideas and approaches to solving the problem;
• puts pressure on the child or on you.

Also pay attention to organizational issues.

A good psychologist will never postpone the time of the visit if it is not related to any emergency. It will not change the cost of services and guarantee a quick result. 

It is also impossible to determine in advance how many sessions will be needed to improve the child's condition.

Myths about psychologistsThere are a number of myths in any professional environment.

Psychology is no exception. While searching for a specialist, you will probably encounter one or more erroneous, but very persistent, beliefs. 

For example:a male psychologist will find a better approach to a boy, and a female one, respectively, to a girl.

• In fact, this is not true. The success of therapy is determined by the professional training of a specialist and the client's desire to work with his problem. The sex of the psychologist is completely unimportant. The main thing is to establish trusting communication during the session;
• with complex cases, it is better to contact older psychologists — they have more experience. Yes, experience is very important. But experience is not equal to work experience. A specialist can work for 20 years, but during his entire practice he does not encounter certain kinds of problems, or he encounters them indirectly or rarely. And a young psychologist who has chosen a narrow specialization can gain impressive experience on a specific problem in a few years;
• the more titles (regalia) a psychologist has, the better he is. Yes, a good education, experience and continuous professional development are the guarantee that you have a real pro in front of you. But there is also a human factor: a child may not make contact with a venerable psychologist, but will quickly find a common language with a young specialist;
• a psychologist working with children should have their own children. A competent specialist knows how to separate personal life and work. Therefore, the presence / absence of children with a psychologist does not affect his professional activity. 

Call a psychologistIn order not to waste either your own or the psychologist's time, try to find out the main organizational points at the first call:

What methods does the psychologist work with?

1. Are they suitable for solving your problem.
2. With children of what age you can go to the reception (not all specialists work with kids under 5 years old).
3. What is the education, experience and qualifications of this psychologist. Feel free to ask, these are perfectly normal questions. 
4. Are there any additional services? In addition to individual counseling of a psychologist with a child, many specialists practice psychodiagnostics of children, group therapy, trainings for parents, etc.
5. What time is available for regular appointments with this specialist. If you work or for some other reason will be able to visit a psychologist at certain hours, then the coincidence of your schedules is one of the important points.
6. Specify the duration of the reception, the price and payment method, as well as the conditions for canceling or postponing the visit.

First visitAs a rule, the parents are together with the child at the first consultation

. The psychologist asks questions, listens to complaints, makes an initial assessment of the situation. Then he determines the type of psychological assistance that will be provided to the child, as well as the format of consultations (alone with the child or in the presence of parents). 

Listen to your inner feelings after the first meeting with a specialist. Does he inspire confidence in you? What impression does it make? Did the psychologist manage to establish emotional contact with you and the child? Trust your intuition. 

Impressions of the childAsk the child what he thinks about the psychologist.

Keep in mind that children are sensitive to the emotional background of the conversation and the reaction of parents. If you were uncomfortable and anxious, then you should not expect calmness from the child. And vice versa. 

Ask if the child wants to go to a second meeting with a psychologist. If he flatly refuses, you should not force him. Just contact a specialist and cancel the scheduled visit. And then look for another one.

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The success of therapy depends not only on the right choice of a psychologist, but also on your personal motivation and attitude, as well as on the child's desire to make contact and work with his problem. Only teamwork will bear fruit. June 17th, 2020 2022-11-26 2020-06-17 Rate the article on a 5-point scale Did you like the article?