How Can I Find A Children’s Behavioral Therapist?

Finding the proper care to treat children with mental health concerns can sometimes be tricky and stressful, especially for parents. You want to find a child and adolescent therapist that you trust to provide mental health services for your child, and you want to ensure that the therapist you choose is the best and most effective fit for your child’s unique needs. Thankfully, there are steps to take to help you feel better about your search and find the right children’s behavioral therapist. While BetterHelp does not offer child therapy at this time (we do offer teen counseling and online therapy for adults), we can provide helpful information on how to find the right therapist for your child.

Various disruptive behaviors, negative interactions, and mental health conditions can present themselves at a very early age and cause significant challenges for both a child and a parent. As the Centers for Disease Control notes, early therapeutic intervention can be key for addressing these concerns. Some examples of the types of conditions and behavioral disorders that a clinical child psychologist might work with regularly are:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)
• Conduct Disorder
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

These types of professionals can also work closely with those with language and intellectual challenges, as well as emotional concerns such as depression, anxiety, grief, anger, or low self-esteem. Note that various types of evidence based psychosocial treatments can be used for children and that the therapeutic experience is not one-size-fits-all. One child therapist may specialize in a specific condition or modality like cerebral palsy, whereas another child therapist may specialize in a completely different mental health field like play therapy and parent training. If you aren’t sure what a specific type of treatment or therapy will entail, you can ask the therapist before therapy begins.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

Therapy vs. medication

Medication can be used alongside therapy when deemed appropriate, though this is not always the case. Medication will be prescribed by a medical doctor such as your child’s primary care provider (PCP) or a psychiatrist.

Some medications can be quite powerful and work wonders for a lot of people, including kids, but they do not cure disorders or end problem behaviors. Therefore, finding additional ways to manage symptoms can be effective for long-term treatment in child and adolescent psychiatry. In therapy, children benefit from learning skills from a child therapist that they can use on an ongoing basis, providing a higher level of support for addressing any mental health conditions and beginning the development of positive behavior. 

Before considering any medication options, make sure to consult with a qualified professional such as your child’s pediatrician or psychiatrist for all treatment options. They’ll be able to go over information related to dosage, side effects, or any other questions you have.

Finding the right therapist for your child

You’re right to have questions and reservations when you want to find a child’s behavioral therapist. Here’s how to feel more confident when searching for a therapist for your child:

Gather a list of questions for prospective therapists

One thing that can help you feel a greater sense of ease right off the bat is remembering that you’re in control. Whether you’re seeking professional family therapy for your child or yourself, empower yourself to ask questions. 

Such questions may include, “Can you tell me about the modalities/approaches you use?” and “How long have you been working with kids who have (insert condition or concern here)?” or "What kind of training do you have in ____ field?" Don’t hesitate to bring up any concerns you have. Competent children’s behavioral therapists will understand what a big decision this is and will understand your questions are a key component of the process. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of a core standard of competencies when providing child and adolescent mental health services. Feel free to ask a prospective therapist for your child about these competencies and their own therapeutic philosophy, as well as their background and education. 

Of course, it is also important that the therapist be compatible with both you and your child. You can talk with these professionals on the phone before they meet your child for the first time. If you have a younger child, you will almost certainly be invited to be present for the first intake session; with older children, the professional may consult you after the first session concludes. 

If you find, at any point in time, that a therapist or form of treatment is not the best fit for your child, you can always find a different professional or treatment modality.

Consult with your family doctor or pediatrician

Any doctor who has experience helping children or adolescents, such as pediatricians and general practitioners, will be a valuable resource in finding a therapist skilled in child and adolescent psychology and behavior disorders. 

You may also consider speaking to a psychiatrist, s mentioned above when discussing medication use. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are also trained in psychotherapy. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication to treat conditions such as adolescent anxiety, which a therapist cannot do. Because of this, a therapist will not be prescribing drugs for your child’s mental health condition and/or disruptive behaviors. Since only psychiatrists can prescribe medication, it is best not to go to educational psychologists, licensed therapists, child counselors, or developmental psychologists for help with medication. 

Finding a therapist

Other than diagnosing and recommending medication, doctors can also refer you to a behavioral therapist or a specialist for a deeper look into your child's life and mental health. Your doctor will write a referral and let you know a general timeframe for when you should be hearing back from the mental health specialist or when you should reach out.

Do some research

One of the best ways to find a therapist is by using an online search engine. Search engines often provide links to client reviews so you can learn if other parents and children have had good experiences with a particular professional, or if a certain clinic offers effective programs that have helped other children develop more appropriate behaviors. 

Taking this route also means that you can contact multiple mental health providers and schedule a phone consultation with each of them to get a feel for who might be best able to help work with your child on addressing their negative behaviors. 

One-on-one vs. group therapy

Individual therapy isn’t the only option for your child. Group therapy is another research-backed option to help with a number of mental health concerns that could impact a child, such as ADHD, ASD, and anxiety. Kids in these groups will be around the same age and will typically have similarities in their conditions or therapy goals, such as the ability to follow house rules. Group therapy is not the same as a support group and will be led by a licensed and qualified mental health professional who works with children.

Some kids may benefit from a combination of group and individual therapy. Or a child may benefit from working one-on-one with a child therapist for a little while before engaging in therapy in a group setting. In these more therapeutic experiences, the child can improve their social skills or otherwise prepare for a group setting, which can help them work with others in the future.

Selecting individual or group therapy is largely up to the parent or guardian because they know their child best. If a child is disruptive, defiant, or demonstrates extreme negative behavior such as aggression and violence, individual therapy with a child therapist could be a better fit to start. The therapist will teach your child coping skills and reinforce good behavior. Once a child has made tangible progress, the therapist may then recommend that the next session is in a group setting.

Remember to take care of yourself

While most parents learn to put their child’s welfare ahead of their own, it is important to remember to take care of yourself and find the support you need in treating your child’s behavioral concerns.

An excellent way to do that is to consider therapy for yourself, not just your child. Not only can a therapist help you process the emotions you are going through and find ways to manage stress, but they may also be able to recommend skills or techniques that will help you understand your child, support them, and maintain a healthy relationship with them. A therapist may also recommend support groups so you can meet parents of children who live with similar concerns. Seeking individual therapy or counseling means that you will have a designated time and space that’s just for you, which can benefit your relationships and overall well-being.

Parents with busy schedules may benefit from online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp. Online therapy services are also typically less expensive than traditional office therapy. Research demonstrates that therapy provided online is just as effective as in-person therapy; one study conducted by the National Institutes of Health found that treatment outcomes for online therapy were similar to those found with traditional treatment.

If you have an older child (over the age of 13), you may also consider BetterHelp’s sister website, TeenCounseling, to find counseling services for them.

BetterHelp counselor reviews  

Here are some recent reviews by BetterHelp users with similar issues of their counselors:

“Kerri is great at helping me with fear, anxiety, uncertainty, parenting, and career issues. She listens and offers guidance and support. She always makes sure my needs are addressed.” Read more on Kerri Wenner.

“In just three weeks of having Mary listen and support and encourage me through a difficult time, my self-confidence and self-assurance have been boosted. I’m open to hearing if there may be another way for me to do things, and it’s been a blessing to know that she validates my concerns and approach to the issue at hand. As a mom who is trying to do the right and the best thing for my kids, she has been a calm voice amid the turmoil.” Read more on Mary Bulla.