What to Expect from Therapy with Children and Adolescents

Often times, parents will ask us, "How long will our child have to come to therapy?" The length of therapy for children and adults is dependent on many things - goals/desired outcomes, severity or complexity of the presenting issues, openness and readiness of the client, and flexibility of the sytems in which the client finds themselves. So, answering the question of length of treatment difinitvely is a difficult task.

Generally, we ask that parents commit to 6 weekly sessions to help the therapist and the minor child develop rapport and begin to gain traction on some of the goals they have established. At that point, the minor client along with his/her parent(s) and the therpist may decide that bi-weekly is a healthy reduction of sessions. This seems to be a good fit for most kids 15 and under.

Therapy sessions with children and teens looks different than therapy with adults. Depending on the age of the client and what they are working on, sessions may include conversation, games, activities, drawing, or other ways of interacting. These can be useful ways for young people to build a relationship with their therapist, practice skills, and work through difficult things. Often times, it is far easier for them to access their emotions and talk about what is happening for them if they are playing a game or doing something creative.

It is also important to remember that children and teens are still developing. Progress in therapy, as with adults, is not always a straight line. A child may have a difficult week after several good ones, or a teen may understand a skill but still have trouble using it when emotions are high. 

As therapists, we look at progress over time and in different areas. We don't just look for the cessation of negative or problematic behaviors. We are also assessing for reduction and what has produced the change in behaviors. Is the client using the tools we've been working on? Have the parents shifted or changed something that has contributed to the change. We are also looking to see if the client is meeting developmental milestones and has improved self-awareness, improved self-worth, improved overall mood and relationships. Sometimes progress means fewer or less intense problems. Other times it may mean recovering more quickly, communicating differently, understanding emotions better, or being able to handle something that was previously overwhelming.

Our goal is to help young people develop skills and learn ways of responding that they will continue to use as they grow, whilst also working with parents to support that process outside of therapy.