We believe keeping parents informed throughout their child or teen’s therapy journey is integral to the healing process.

We also believe that building a strong therapeutic relationship with your child is of the utmost importance. This comes about by building trust over time and practicing confidentiality with the child to create a safe space for the child to feel seen, heard, and valued.

ON THE BLOG: EMDR for Children and Teens >

What to Expect

What makes us unique at Atlanta Wellness Collective is that we require an initial parent appointment prior to meeting with anyone under the age of 18. At Atlanta Wellness Collective, the initial parent appointment is for you; the parent. Your child or teen will not need to attend this appointment.

It’s important to get to know your child’s counselor and to feel comfortable with that person. During the initial parent appointment, we deep dive into family history, presenting issues and concerns, your child’s background, relationships, school and hobbies, past medical and mental health history, nutrition, sleep hygiene, and much much more. Each session lasts 45-50 minutes.

Next, we determine a plan and time to meet with your child or teen for their initial appointment. This is the beginning of their journey. Confidentiality is explained, as well as other housekeeping things, and we begin to establish a therapeutic relationship. Your child will be asked about what they want to get from this experience, and this will aid in empowering them and letting them know they will need to take an active role in their therapy. Based on what issues arise from the initial sessions with the parent and with the child, we determine individual treatment goals together.

ON THE BLOG: Getting the Most Out of Your First Appointment >

Parent Sessions

Parent sessions are also strongly encouraged every so often throughout your child’s treatment. Parent appointments are a time to discuss any changes you’ve noticed going on with your child — positive or negative. Have you noticed any difference in their communication, behavior, demeanor, or symptoms? Are they practicing coping strategies at home (if applicable)? Are relationships that have been strained evolving? Anything else?

During parent appointments, it’s important to discuss treatment goals and progress. We also use parent appointments as “parent coaching” sessions to help parents with strategies they can use at the home to increase the effectiveness of therapy.

Often, your child’s counselor may recommend additional support such as family therapy or parent coaching sessions with another counselor at our offices who can support you as a family and as a parent. At Atlanta Wellness Collective, we utilize a Collaborative Care Model where our providers work together to aid in your family’s treatment.

Getting Started

When your child begins counseling at Atlanta Wellness Collective, it’s important to know that they (and you!) will be treated with respect. They will be met where they’re at. A counselor is unable to push a child into processing something they’re not ready to, as this could impact the trust with their counselor and possibly deter the child or teen from continuing with therapy. All children are unique from one another. Some are open and ready to spill every thought they have. Others take time to open up and feel comfortable sharing personal life details. If this is the case, usually, over time, a relationship of trust will build, and when the child is ready they will get what they need from counseling.

Parents can also expect to be kept informed if there is an immediate need, like a safety issue or other emergency. You can expect to get resources from your child’s provider individualized to their situation.

VIEW MORE: Resources for Children & Parents >

At Atlanta Wellness Collective, we want to help. To get started, contact us or request an appointment online. If you’re unsure of the best next step for your child or family, complete this form. Someone from our office will be in touch within 12-24 business hours with a personalized next step based on your needs and situation.

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Disclaimer: This blog is not intended to substitute professional therapeutic advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health concerns and before starting or stopping therapies. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct professional advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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