A disruption in the child’s / adolescent’s behavior that has been negatively impacting his/her social and emotional wellbeing through different domains of life, such as home, school, and relationship with others is the indication of needing mental health assistance. The decision of starting treatment is consensus done between a child’s therapist, the caregiver, and the child (depending on the age), after a comprehensive intake process. In this initial session (s) the caregiver will provide all of the information regarding the child’s family, medical, potential trauma exposure, and developmental history that will prompt the therapist to have an understanding about the client’s past and current mental health status. The majority of therapists believe that the child’s caregiver is the “expert” on the child so no one else knows more or is better capable of helping the little one (and the big ones as well.)

Children are resilient and can adapt to many different situations but at times it can be beneficial to have a professional assistance to facilitate these life transitions. Open communication is key to a healthy developing child. Children can often times surprise adults with their level of understanding of how the world around them evolves. In a future posting I will discuss specific behaviors that are expected to children of different ages.