Counseling and Therapy

Counseling and Therapy: Methods of Treatment

Selecting a therapist for your child is a highly personal matter.  A professional who works very well with one individual may not be a good choice for another person.

There are several ways to get referrals of qualified therapists, including the following:

• First, check with your insurance company for any limitations.

• Talk to family members and friends for their recommendations.  If you participate in a parent support group, such as Families Anonymous, ask other members for their recommendations.

• Ask your child's primary care physician or your family doctor for a referral.  Tell the doctor what is important to you in choosing a therapist so he or she can make appropriate recommendations.

• Inquire at your church, synagogue, or place of worship.

• Call the professional organizations listed on the Counseling & Therapy: Methods of Treatment for referrals.

• Network the resources listed on your state's Family Help page.

• Look in the phone book for the listing of a local mental health association, community mental health center, or crisis center.  Call these sources for referrals and to learn of the services they may offer.

Ideally, you will end up with more than one therapist to interview.  Call each one and request to ask the therapist some questions, either by phone or in person.  You will want to inquire about his or her licensing, level of training, expertise, approach to therapy and medication, and participation in insurance plans and fees.  Such a discussion should help you sort through your options and choose someone with whom you believe you and your teen might interact well.

On the following page are brief descriptions of the methods health professionals use and/or recommend in working with teens and their families and links to organizations that give referrals to mental health professionals in your area.

NEXT:  Methods of Treatment

Hotlines and Helplines  -  Self-Help and Support Groups

Counseling and Therapy: Methods of Treatment

More Information

All in the Head ~ Thought field therapy (TFT), craniosacral therapy, and neurofeedback are being used to treat many psychological and behavioral problems.

Are Psychiatrists Betraying Their Patients? (pdf) ~ When doctors prescribe psychiatric drugs, are they giving their patients an unhealthy fix -- and making a bundle off it?  Prominent psychiatrists debate this explosive issue.

The Bible and Psychology ~ The most authoritative textbook on the subject of human behavior is the Bible.  The Bible is not a textbook on psychology, rather it is a text on God, His relationship to humankind, and human behavior.

Building Human Strength: Psychology's Forgotten Mission ~ Psychology is not just the study of weakness and damage, it is also the study of strength and virtue.  Treatment is not just fixing what is broken, it is nurturing what is best within ourselves.

Chemical Imbalance ~ The idea that mental illness is caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain started in the 1950s when many of the currently used psychiatric drugs were discovered by chance to alleviate the symptoms of certain mental illnesses.

Finding Help ~ Guidance in determining when professional help is needed, and how to seek or use the proper person or agency.

The Hidden Side of Psychiatry ~ Millions of individuals are being grievously harmed by the mental health profession -- from insurance scams to abusive treatments to adverse side effects of medication.

Lost Confidence and Confidentiality in Psychotherapy ~ Preserving confidential psychotherapy outside of managed care and insurance companies. Also read Managed Care Destroys Privacy in Psychotherapy.

Mental Disorders Are Not Diseases ~ The mind is not the brain, mental functions are not reducible to brain functions, and mental diseases are not brain diseases -- indeed, mental diseases are not diseases at all.

The Once Forgotten Factor in Psychiatry: Research Findings on Religious Commitment and Mental Health ~ Religious / spiritual commitment may enhance recovery from depression, serious mental or physical illness, and substance abuse; help curtail suicide; and reduce health risks.