How to find the right psychologist for your child’s mental health

As mental health rates continue to rise among young Australians, the task of finding the right professional to not only hear them, but also help them, is crucial, writes Dr Judith Locke.

The couple approached me following my parenting talk and asked about their 15-year-old

daughter.

She had seen a psychologist, who had diagnosed anxiety and told the parents and school to be understanding of the teen’s moods and accommodate her preferences.

Their daughter enjoyed going to fortnightly therapy sessions and seemed briefly better after them. But therapy had now gone on for two years with no real improvements, and she was always angry at home. What could they do?

Their situation was awful, but it’s one I am increasingly encountering. And it frustrates me, particularly when people like Emeritus Professor Gavin Andrews is on the record as saying that therapy should improve most people in two or so months. So, what’s happening?

While children having access to psychological care is important, the quality of that treatment is critical. If it is ineffective treatment they are receiving, then it is not going to help the child in the long term and may make things worse.

Finding a health professional that you child feels comfortable with can take some time. Picture: iStock

The purpose in anyone seeing a psychologist is not to diagnose an issue but to treat an

issue, just as you go to a GP to improve your health, not simply to be told you are unwell.

The process of therapy is to enable clients to improve their wellbeing. Through discussion of the client’s current situation and their past history, therapists diagnose, but that’s only the first stage, along with helping people understand why they feel that way and empathising with their situation. It’s then essential to use an evidence-based treatment to help the client start to feel better in the long term.

Good therapists don’t just do supportive counselling with clients – simply chatting about

their week and offering encouragement and support – because they know this is not

beneficial in the long term. It also risks the sessions being more like friends meeting up as opposed to a therapist guiding the client into better behaviours and improved mood.

There are lots of ways to know if you’ve found a good therapist. Picture: iStock

How will you know a good therapist? They will be teaching children skills to overcome their anxieties or sad feelings, and how to make changes in the way they think or behave, even though these modifications might feel a little challenging in the short term.

They’ll also consult a child’s parents to support therapeutic change and react in a manner that does not inadvertently encourage problematic behaviours in their child.

A good therapist will also sometimes make parents the main ones involved in treatment – particularly if the child is young or the issue is regarding the child’s or teen’s behaviour towards the parents.

Good psychologists might write a letter to the school excusing the child from a few

presentations or events because of their current anxiety or depression, but that excuse is usually only short-lived. The goal then is to improve the issue, so the child can participate as normally as they can and gain the benefits of having a complete schooling experience.

Ironically, if the child doesn’t end up facing the things they fear, then their feelings are going to become even worse.

Likewise, if their diagnosis allegedly excuses them from socially acceptable behaviour in the home, then their relationship with their family will become poorer, further risking their wellbeing.

A good therapist will teach children skills to overcome their anxieties or sad feelings. Picture: iStock

We are in a truly enlightened time for mental health. The Australian Government provides ten sessions of Medicare-subsidised evidence-based therapy from a psychologist recommended by your GP. Using these sessions for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) will be enough for many to turn their lives around; others might need a little longer.

Professor Andrews suggests that if therapy does not produce any sort of improvement in 30

days, then you should go back to your GP and get a recommendation to see another

professional. I completely agree with him.

Don’t let anything hold your child back from living a good life unencumbered by mental

health concerns. Make sure the help you employ is truly helpful.

Worried your child is receiving ineffective therapy? Try this.

● Speak to or have your child speak to the psychologist about the improvements so far and what else needs to be done.

● Ask how long they see treatment going for and what treatment they’re using.

● Ask them how many sessions it usually takes to improve the issue with no further

treatment needed.

● If this is not helpful, speak to the referring GP about your concerns. Ask them if they can recommend you to a psychologist who they know to be effective in treating the issue.