Counseling for Kids…What to Expect at the First Appointment

 

Finally, after much searching and waiting for an open appointment, you are your child are ready to attend the first therapy appointment for your child’s anxiety.  Unfortunately, now you have anxiety over what to expect…I hope that isn’t true, but there seems to be a lot of apprehension over this initial appointment!  As discussed in How to Find the Right Child Therapist for Anxiety, there are several types of therapy offered to children. The style of therapy and the personality and experience of the therapist will greatly impact the way a therapy session is structured.  However, when offering counseling for kids, successful therapists tend to follow the same guidelines.

Do not add any more stress to your already stressful situation.  This article has you covered on what to expect at your first appointment with a therapist for your child’s anxiety.  

Arrival

Depending on the size of the therapy practice, there may be a large waiting similar to a doctor’s office or a small spot to wait outside the office door.  Either way, there will be necessary paperwork to fill out. Recently, many therapists will send these documents to you ahead of time to complete prior to the appointment.  The goal is to gain more information about your child’s emotional needs, medical history, insurance information (if applicable), and a history of the child (as it relates to their mental health). Be sure to arrive promptly, as your appointment is typically limited to about an hour and the therapist seldom will go past the allotted time.  You do not want to waste even one minute of their valuable time!

The First Meeting

Research shows that for children with anxiety, therapy that includes the child and the parents is the most successful.  In this case, the initial meeting should include the family. The therapist may meet with the child individually at times and the parents individually as well, but overall, the time is spent gathering information as a family.  This initial visit is really a “getting to know you” situation so there is a lot of questions and answers.

The questions will center on the reasons therapy was sought?

What difficulties are you experiencing?

What treatment, if any, has been tried in the past?

It can be frustrating and exhausting to go into all of the details but the therapist needs to have an understanding of your child and family in order to create an individual therapy plan.  Additionally, therapists gain insight into the parent’s level of anxiety and how to incorporate their needs into the overall therapy plan for the child.

Looking to the Future

Near the conclusion of the first meeting, the therapist should share with you his or her tentative plans for your family.  You sought help from a therapist because you need support as a parent and your child needs skills and knowledge on managing anxiety.  Expect your therapists to offer concrete ideas to treat your child’s anxiety.

It is important that the end of each session, the therapist provide your child (and possibly the family) homework to work on between sessions.  This is where the true success of therapy happens. During a therapy session, you and your child are learning about anxiety, how it applies to your situation, and skills to manage the anxiety.  Your child (with your support) must take this information and apply it frequently to their life. Without this “practice” the therapists cannot make headway. Anxiety is not treated through “talk” but through actions.  

Seldom will a therapist offer a definite plan highlighting the number of visits needed to treat your child.  Anxiety treatment is not a quick fix, rather learning skills for life long success. The rate at which your family goes through therapy depends on a number of factors.  For example, the intensity of the anxiety, the age of the child, the anxiety levels of the parents, the consistency of using the learned skills, and so on.

The goal is to leave the first therapy session feeling like you have someone who understands what you and your child are going through.  You feel that there is a concrete plan in place and you are moving forward in helping your child. Remember, therapy takes time, hard work, and dedication.  It is well worth the effort when you see your family finding more joy and less anxiety!

Share your therapy success stories in the comments below.