If your child needs counseling in Oklahoma City, OK, you have many options, making it difficult to select the right option. However, when considering counselors, make sure to look at a few different options and ask them all the same questions to determine which one will be the best fit for your child.
Licensing
Many states do not require their child counselors and therapists to have a license to practice, though Oklahoma City OK counselors are usually required to be licensed. You may search online to find out about specifics in the state of OK, though you can simply ask the child counseling company if their counselors are licensed or not.
It is important to find licensed counselors because these people have the appropriate training to provide your child treatment and have taken formal coursework in counseling specific to children.
Education
Make sure to ask the counseling centers about the education of their child counselors to ensure that they have plenty of training and expertise in the field. If you are worried about outdated materials, ask about continuing education requirements for your child counselors. If continuing education is not required, find out whether specific counselors receive continuing education to ensure that the newest advancements in technology and treatment are being used.
Title
Ask them about their personal title because some Oklahoma City counselors are psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists or family therapists. Ensure that the counselor you select has dealt directly with children for most or all of their career, as children’s emotions and mental health are different from adults.
Treatment Approach
Each counselor has a different approach to treatment. In order to ask the counselor about their approach, ask them about their theoretical orientation and the types of treatment they commonly prescribe or offer. You may also ask them to explain their treatment if you don’t understand. If you know that your child has a specific problem, you can ask the counselor what treatment they would offer for a child with that problem. For example, if your child has ADHD, ask the child counselor what they typically do for ADHD problems.
Referrals
If your child has been prescribed counseling by a doctor or school, then you should ask them about recommendations or referrals. School nurses and doctors will often have counseling center information and can help you locate someone that will fit your child’s needs in Oklahoma City, OK.
