FAQs

What can I expect at the first appointment? I do the initial intake appointment with the caregivers only. During this intake appointment, caregivers will have a chance to discuss the primary concerns and treatment goals. Be prepared to discuss symptoms, developmental milestones, family history, educational history, medical history, current medications, previous testing and/or treatment, etc. After this initial appointment, your child will be scheduled for future sessions.

How long will therapy take? I cannot give an answer for this because every child is different. There are so many factors that affect this process: child's personality (some children are very open and dive into the work quickly while others are slower to warm up), level of trust (if the child has history of trauma, neglect, and attachment disruptions, it will take longer to earn that trust), presenting issues (long history of trauma will typically be a more in depth process than generalized anxiety). I meet children where they are and do not rush this process or try to meet certain deadlines. My focus is on building the relationship with the child so they see me as a safe person they can do the hard work with.

How often will they need to come? I always start out with meeting with children weekly. Children need consistency to help build the therapeutic relationship and weekly appointments help with that. When a child begins to meet treatment goals and parents see changes at home in the presenting problem, I will typically taper frequency to every other week appointments. As progress continues, I will then move to discharge. The discharge process always includes the parent and child to assess readiness and comfort level with discharging and will not happen abruptly, but is a decision that is made over time with preparation for the child.

How will I (the parent) be involved? I believe it's important for parents to be involved in the process. When I'm doing individual therapy with a child, I will meet with the parent after every 4-6 sessions with the child to discuss updates, progress, and concerns. These parent consultations are a great opportunity for parents to ask about ways to manage different behaviors or how to respond in triggering situations with their child. I am always open to having these appointments as the need arises with whatever frequency is needed, which may be different for every child.

Will I get to know what my child is talking about? Your child has confidentiality in my office. This helps with building that trusting relationship. At times, there are situations that I think a parent needs to be aware of and I will ask permission from the child to speak with the parent or encourage the child to tell the parent on their own. There are also times I am required to break that confidentiality. If your child tells me that someone is hurting them, I am a mandated reporter and am required by law to report that to DSS. If your child tells me they want to hurt themselves, I will inform you and work with you to make a plan for safety. If your child tells me they want to hurt someone else (reports thoughts of homicide), I am required to report this as well.