Introduction
For many parents, the world of mental illness in children and young adults is unfamiliar territory, and navigating it can be bewildering. First, you have to decide whether your child will benefit from a psychiatrist Louisville KY, and thereafter, find the best treatment. It’s not easy to know whom to trust with the wellbeing of your child and whether the prescribed treatment will be effective. But, when you know the right questions to ask, and what specific things to look for in therapists Louisville KY, you will know how to navigate the murky waters in mental health treatment. Read on to learn more.
What to ask when selecting a psychiatrist
Is the therapist licensed?
There are many therapists Louisville KY that use the term while knowing very well that they are unlicensed or don’t have the requisite training. While some people call themselves therapists, they don’t have a professional license to qualify them to treat mental illness in children.
In the absence of such a license, there is no way you can be sure that they were trained to provide these services. Not only does a professional license ensures that your psychiatrist Louisville KY has gone through formal training, but also ensures that they are abiding by the ethical and legal codes of your state. To ascertain whether a therapist has licensure to operate in your area, take a look at the way they have described themselves on their website or beside their title and name. Virginia, like every state, has a licensure board for every kind of mental illness disorder license that allows the members of the public to confirm that their therapist is licensed. You can also see whether they have been under any board action against them for an ethical violation.
You should look for a therapist with titles like:
- Licensed counselor
- Licensed social worker
- Licensed psychologist
- Licensed psychiatrist
- A licensed marital and family counselor
What treatments do they offer?
Therapists Louisville KY for children provide a range of treatments. However, you should by now know that these therapies differ a great deal. According to research, some therapies are better than others for treating specific disorders. For that reason, you should find out from your therapist if the treatment method they use is backed by scientific evidence.
Do they have a treatment plan?
A good therapist will not hesitate to outline a comprehensive treatment plan that includes all the things they plan, as well as how the chosen treatment will address the specific issues that your child faces. The plan should show clearly the progress benchmarks throughout the plan and at the same time contain information about the duration of the treatment plan. The importance of tracking progress is that it helps to determine whether to continue with the same treatment or to make some modifications to it. In case your child psychiatrist Louisville KY does not have a treatment plan, ask them to explain to you how they will determine the effectiveness of their treatment.
Potential red flags when choosing a child therapist
It sounds too good to be true
There are many warning signs in fake therapists Louisville KY. The first one is that the therapist promises to use one therapy for treating many varied illnesses. For example, if a therapy website claims to be able to use one approach in treating depression, marital conflict, ADHD, and dementia, it is highly likely that they are lying.
Another thing that should put you off is when a psychiatrist Louisville Ky claims to know something no one else does. If a website claims to have the secret to treating your child’s anxiety, and that it cannot be provided by anybody else, it is very much a sales tactic and nothing more.
Also, if the treatment plan proposed appears to work without any regard to conventional wisdom, then this is a huge red flag. Be wary of plans that aren’t backed by science. Specifically, look out for statements like “Scientists have conspired to keep this information from you”, or the big pharma companies have hidden this treatment plan because they want to protect their profits.” These statements are not only misleading but also untrue.
They promise you the world
The best therapists Louisville Ky are driven by the sole aim of helping children with mental illnesses, and that’s the biggest motivator for them. But some make hollow promises to clients. Be especially wary of therapists promising dramatic results in the shortest time possible. Most likely, the results aren’t practical or even possible. You would be best off staying away from them.
Also, if a therapist warns that a certain therapy will not show results until several years, it is a danger sign that the practitioner is not to be trusted. Although some childhood conditions require long-term treatment, the majority of research-backed treatments take only 12 to 16 months. If the treatment lasts longer, you may ask why it takes so much time. Also, it’s important to know the specific benchmarks your child will meet on the way, and also the cost.
They don’t base their treatment on research
If a therapist you have approached to help your child appears to rely more on testimonials as opposed to research, this is a red flag that you may be dealing with a fake practitioner.
For example, rather than relying on research to support their treatment, these people cite quotes from their clients as a testament to the effectiveness of their treatment. Although there is nothing wrong with past clients expressing their satisfaction with treatment, you won’t always know the unhappy ones who may never get quoted. In short, testimonies don’t show the full story.
Conclusion
Child psychiatrists are doctors who socialize in treating mental illnesses. They assess, diagnose, and prescribe treatment plans for their patients. Also, they monitor a patient’s progress to know whether the treatment works or not.
When you are searching for a psychiatrist Louisville KY, look for candidates with demonstrable excellent diagnostic skills. At the same time, you need to be wary of therapists Louisville KY that are not good listeners. Chances are that they will not treat you to the best standards you want.
Story by Konna Papazoglou
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