What to Expect at Mental Health Therapy

If your child is starting therapy with a mental health professional for the first time, it’s normal to feel nervous or have a lot of questions!

We hope helping you know what to expect will help ease fears for both you and your child, and also help you determine if you have found a professional who is a good fit.

What therapy looks like can vary a lot. Depending on where you go, the treatment team, and your child’s concerns will impact your experience. However, there are some things you can look out for and ask about to make treatment more successful!

Before your appointment

Your treatment team may start gathering information about your child and your family even before your first appointment. Many places will complete what is called an “intake” or a “screening” either via phone or in person. This is to help them determine the best fit for your child. Oftentimes, this step is followed by a wait time to get started with treatment.

Many of these intake questions are “standardized,” meaning all families get asked the same questions. It may feel weird to be asked so many questions that don’t apply to your child but know that it is not about something you may have said or done.

Getting to know you

At your child’s first appointment, you are likely to get even more questions! You may even have some questionnaires to fill out. This is sometimes called the “diagnostic assessment.” This information helps the therapist get to know your child and family, determine a diagnosis for your child, understand your family’s strengths and set goals for treatment.

This process may take several appointments. So even though the therapist will have seen your child multiple times, they may not have started treatment interventions right away. Be patient and don’t give up yet!

As a caregiver, you have a right to know what your child’s diagnosis and results are from a diagnostic assessment. If your therapist does not share results with you, don’t be afraid to ask:

• What are the results of my child’s assessment?
• What does that mean for my family?
• What are our next steps?

Goal setting

Next, you should expect your therapist or treatment team to set treatment goals or a treatment plan with you.

Setting goals should be a collaboration between the therapist, the family and the child. Don’t feel pressure to know all the answers — your therapist is there to help!

To develop your treatment goals, your therapist may ask questions like:

• What do you want to accomplish in therapy?
• How do we know if your child is getting better?
• What are things you would like to change or improve?
• When do we know we have successfully completed therapy?

Many therapists may continue to give you questionnaires at each appointment, like the ones you filled out at the beginning, to track symptoms. This is part of an evidence-based approach, where your therapist is tracking your child’s symptoms to see if they improve.

Deciding on treatment

Once your therapist has completed the diagnostic assessment and set goals, they will also determine the type of evidence-based treatment your child will benefit from.

It’s an important step in therapy and you will want to make sure you are in agreement with your therapist over the plan. If your therapist has not shared their treatment approach, it’s OK to ask!

• What type of treatment will my child need?
• Is it evidence-based?
• Who will need to attend appointments? How often?
• What skills will my child be learning?

Your level of involvement in therapy will also vary depending on the treatment plan. Sometimes the child will do appointments alone, caregivers will do appointments alone, and/or the family will attend the appointment together. For younger children, caregivers are likely to be involved in every session and may even be seen without the child.

You need to know what to expect and how to plan your schedule! We recommend that you, as the caregiver, always stay in the know of what treatment your child is receiving and the skills they’re learning. If your child is seen in a setting such as their school, come up with a plan on how you can stay in touch with their therapists and involved.

The frequency of treatment  

How often your child is treated will also vary depending on the kind of therapy your child is receiving and their diagnosis. Treatment for mental health concerns varies from residential services (a child lives at their treatment facility) all the way to outpatient treatment that may happen weekly, monthly or less often.

The care team

Depending on the kind of care, your child may also have only one therapist, one psychiatrist, or multiple providers (a treatment team). That’s why it’s helpful for you to understand the results of the diagnostic assessment and treatment goals. All this will determine why your child may need certain levels of care.

We hope this helps with some of your concerns as your child starts therapy. Remember it’s OK to advocate for yourself and ask questions! Your mental health professional is there to help guide you and your child on this journey.