How do I explain counselling or therapy to a child who is not entering counselling?
Whether your child is resistant to the idea of therapy or it’s simply something you’ve considered together, explaining what therapy is and how it can help can be a challenge. You can prepare your child for therapy years ahead of when they might need it by carefully explaining what therapy is and what it isn’t. Some children learn to associate counselling or therapy with punishment for having done something wrong. You’ll need to work on changing their mindset into thinking that therapy is a safe place to talk openly about their feelings and find ways to heal from their past pain and trauma. Here are some ideas for talking to your child about therapy.
- Introduce them to mental health care
Sometimes a child is unaware that mental health treatment is available to them and under what circumstances. Children of all ages may have heard of counselling from the kids at school or on television but have no real idea what it is. You can teach a child early on what it means to get mental health treatment and who might benefit from it.
Most young children won’t have the mental capacity or maturity to understand the concept of counselling. Still, you can begin by telling them what a counsellor does and what types of situations they’re available to help with. The younger you acquaint children with therapy, the more receptive they’ll be to receiving mental health care as they need it.
- It can prepare them for a loved one’s death
Families experiencing the heartache of seeing a loved one suffer through a long-term illness or sudden terminal illness or accident will become familiar with end-of-life counselling offered at or near death. A hospital or hospice chaplaincy staff usually provides this type of counselling free of charge. Its main goal is to help those transitioning to death find peace and hope in their last days. End-of-life counselling also helps the dying patient’s loved ones struggling with the pain of losing their family member. Children can benefit from this type of counselling when someone close to them is nearing the end of life.
- Assure them that therapy is private
Often, older children refuse to go to therapy because they don’t trust that what they say to the therapist will remain private. There’s a misconception around older children that their parents have a right to know what they discuss in therapy. Many times, this alone creates an aversion to seeking therapy or professional counselling.
Reassure your child that what they discuss during their counselling sessions is entirely private and confidential, except in cases of physical or sexual abuse (the therapist may be required to report it). Once the child has built trust with how therapy sessions go, they may be more inclined to go.
- Give them options for traditional therapy
Traditional therapy has long involved making an appointment and waiting to see the therapist or counsellor in person in an office setting. These sessions are slowly becoming a thing of the past, with more and more people seeking online counselling and therapy. Because counselling mainly involves talk therapy, meeting with a counsellor over the internet is more convenient and comfortable for a child because they can go online while still at home and in the privacy of their bedroom.
Therapists have also adapted to meeting their patients online and assigning work or activities they can do together over a video chat session. Overall, online sessions provide an excellent alternative for older children whenever they consider entering into therapy.
- Destigmatize getting help
All in all, one of the most incredible things you can do for your child who may need mental health therapy is to destigmatize getting the help they need. Children need all the love and support they can get at home and in a professional setting where appropriate. The more therapy is normalized, starting at home, the easier and more comfortable it’ll be for your child to ask for the help they need.
