Sending your child to therapy can be a daunting process, so gently introducing them in a sensitive and respectful manner is key to a good start. Here is our 5 Steps to a Smooth Therapy Start.

1. Demystifying Therapy

   Your child may have a lot of questions prior to starting therapy. After all, there are a lot of misconceptions about therapy. It is important to make time to find out their current understanding of therapy and to explore what they are unsure about. Use simple language, remain genuine and encourage your child to be curious.

   You may say things like:

   • “I wish I had a space to play music and rant about my parents (in a joking manner!) when I was young”;

   • “If it was up to me, everybody would have a chance to have therapy so we can all get to know ourselves better.”

     
     

2. Allowing Your Child to be Involved

   There are many types of therapies available for children. To name a few, children can respond well to talking therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), play therapy, art therapy and creative therapies etc. One size really doesn't fit all. If your child, especially if they are approaching teen-age, has the capacity, it might be beneficial for you and your child to think about which type of therapy and which therapist your child prefers together.

   
   

3. Respect Your Child’s Privacy in Therapy

   We have all been young before. There are things that we'd rather not share with our parents, no matter how good our relationships are. Having a private space to explore emotions can be an empowering experience for young people. It is important to assure your child that we respect their privacy in therapy. If you would like to communicate specific events with your child's therapist between session, we would highly recommend being transparent with your child. This allows your child's therapist to bring up the specific events in sessions without compromising the trust they built with your child.

   
   

4. Take Your Child’s View into Account

   We often tell young people and their families that the assessment process is as much for them to find out whether their therapist is the right fit as it is for the therapist to observe whether CBT (for instance) is the appropriate medium of therapy for them. While we may strongly believe that a certain therapy can provide a positive therapeutic experience for children, if your child does not wish to continue with therapy, their wishes must be taken into account when deciding whether further sessions with the same therapist is appropriate. In most cases, it will be counterproductive to make them or bribe them to continuing therapy.

   
   

5. Normalise Talking about Emotions and Embracing Vulnerability

   While your child may not always want to share what they've spoken about in their therapy sessions, you may notice that your child is becoming increasingly explorative of their emotions as they engage in therapy. It would be helpful for you to facilitate an open space for discussion, embrace both positive and difficult emotions and to model healthy ways of expressing feelings at home.