Child therapists have special training and experience that qualifies them to work with children. Find the right one for your child with guidance from this article.

Children may benefit from therapy for any number of reasons, for concerns both small and large. Child therapists have special training and experience that qualifies them to work with children across a wide range of psychological and lifestyle matters.

They’re armed with tools and techniques to help children process difficult emotions, develop coping techniques, and build social skills. Child counselors may use play, art, or music to help children express themselves and communicate with the world around them.

So, if you’re wanting to know how to find a suitable children’s therapist, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to cover what a child therapist is, what they do, and how you can find one that’s nearby and accepts your insurance.

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Key takeaways

  • Child therapists have specialized training to work with children across a wide range of developmental stages and mental health concerns — finding someone who focuses on children specifically is important.
  • Therapy can help children with ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, PTSD, behavioral challenges, school issues, and life transitions — you don’t need to wait for a crisis to seek support.
  • A child’s first therapy session typically involves assessments and interviews — parents are often involved, especially with younger children.
  • Common evidence-based approaches for children include CBT, play therapy, family therapy, and DBT — your child’s therapist will tailor the approach to their age and needs.
  • On Grow Therapy, you can filter specifically for child and adolescent therapists, check who takes your insurance, and book within two days.

What is a child therapist?

Any pediatric healthcare provider will tell you, children are not simply small adults. Their brains and bodies are in an ongoing state of change and growth. A child’s developmental age and environment influence how they process events and feelings. Therefore, finding a therapist who focuses on children is essential. 

A child therapist has a Master’s degree in psychology or a counseling-related field. However, the title “child therapist” may be used to describe a number of mental health professionals with varying degrees and backgrounds. 

The list below has a few of the degrees and paths someone might take to become a child therapist. The training and emphasis for each varies. For example, psychiatrists are qualified to diagnose mental health disorders and prescribe medication, whereas licensed clinical counselors are trained to help people develop daily life skills but cannot diagnose or prescribe medication. A child therapist may be a:

A therapist may also work with parents or families to help everyone in the family system. They may specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma, or grief counseling services. Others may have additional training or experience with specific age groups like adolescents or elementary-age children. 

Could my child benefit from a therapist?

According to the CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 40% of high school students reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless in the previous year — a figure that has risen significantly over the past decade.

Children face challenges and stressors that didn’t exist 10 years ago. Yet, they don’t have the physical and mental maturity to handle all of the emotions and experiences around them. They may also have mental health disorders that interfere with their ability to function at home, work, or school. Therapy provides support for children navigating everyday challenges, from friendships to school-related stress.

Therapy provides a controlled, neutral environment in which they can learn and practice social skills, discuss difficult topics, or work through feelings through various mediums like play, art, or music. If they have a mental health disorder, a therapist can teach them and their parents how to manage their symptoms.

While this list isn’t exhaustive, therapy can help children with the following:

When younger children are involved, the therapist may also work with parents with parent-focused approaches. That could include parent training in behavior management to help them set the child up for success in the home and at school.

The process of creating a supportive home environment through behavior management may involve incorporating new ways of play, talking, or integrating activities that help children express their thoughts and feelings in a productive way. Sometimes small changes to the home environment, like reducing noise at certain times of the day, can help children better process sights, sounds, and textures. 

The therapist may periodically observe you with your child to see how you interact. They can make suggestions to help facilitate the goals you’ve set for you and your child. 

As children age, their mental health needs change as well. For example, depression is more prevalent in adolescents than in elementary-age children, though young children can experience it as well.

Young children also usually require more parental involvement in therapy than adolescents. However, in most cases, regardless of child age, parents talk with the therapist to incorporate new ways of communication and interacting to support their child.

Did you know?

Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14 — and three-quarters begin by age 24. Despite this, many children and teens wait years or even decades between the onset of symptoms and receiving effective treatment. Early intervention can significantly improve long-term outcomes.

What should I expect in a typical session of child therapy?

The schedule and makeup of a child’s therapy session vary based on the reason for therapy. However, the first session typically involves an interview and assessments. As a parent, you might fill out questionnaires while the therapist observes your child playing. Teens may fill out their own questionnaires to give the therapist insights of their current mental state.

These assessments and questionnaires are important to reveal underlying issues that could influence your child’s behavior. They’re also used to mark and track progress. 

Therapists who use play therapy may observe younger children playing with different toys. Those who work with teens may want to talk to the teen alone to get to know them and gauge how they feel about therapy. 

The therapist then develops a treatment plan. They can use any number of modalities and therapeutic methods, depending on the child and family’s needs. The evidence-based therapies that might be used include:

However, there are many different types of therapy. A therapist may combine several types to best serve the needs of your child. 

As with adult therapy, confidentiality is a vital part of child therapy; but it’s a bit of a gray area that you’ll need to address early on with children. Children under 18 don’t always have a right to confidentiality.

Ask the therapist about confidentiality policies in the first session. Some therapists ask parents to agree to full provider-patient confidentiality unless the therapist thinks the child may hurt themselves or others. This type of policy helps children feel safe telling the therapist things that they may not share with their parents.

As a parent, you can decide what you’re comfortable with and what you think will be best for your child.

This is one of the most common questions parents have, and the honest answer is that the line isn’t always clear.

A few useful signals: if your child’s behavior or mood has changed noticeably and persisted for more than two to four weeks, if their functioning at home or school is being significantly affected, or if they’re expressing feelings they don’t have words for or are acting out in ways that feel outside their normal range — those are signs that professional support may be more useful than parenting adjustments alone. That said, therapy and parental support aren’t either/or.

Many child therapists work directly with parents as part of the treatment plan, helping you understand what your child is experiencing and giving you tools to support them at home between sessions. If you’re unsure, an initial consultation with a child therapist can help you assess whether formal therapy is warranted.

How do I find a child therapist?

Finding the right child therapist can feel overwhelming. Typing in “child therapist near me” can provide a list of confusing results with therapists, clinicians, and counselors, and a dizzying number of acronyms behind their names. Then there’s the issue of finding someone that accepts your insurance.

Grow Therapy cuts through the confusion, providing a curated list of licensed mental health providers after you’ve filled out a simple three-question survey. The initial survey includes an option to look specifically for a child or teen counselor. 

Grow Therapy’s network of 25,000+ providers includes therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and counselors, with telehealth available in all 50 states and in-person care available in many major metro areas.

When you enter your information, you only see providers licensed in your state who meet your search criteria. If you need someone who can manage medications, for example, you can filter the results to find those qualified to offer medication management. 

From there, you can see provider credentials, years of experience, and the general philosophy for their practice. They may offer keywords like “solution-oriented” or “empowering,” along with a bio to give you a glimpse into the therapist’s personality and therapeutic approach.

The bottom of the bios shows the provider’s next available appointment, which can be as soon as two or three days. 

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What questions should I ask a child therapist?

Some therapists offer free consultations during which you can ask questions to get a better idea of how they work and if they’ll be a good fit for your family. With others, the first session gives you a chance to ask questions and get a feel for how the therapist professionally functions. 

Here are some questions to consider asking the therapist:

  • Have they been specifically trained to work with children? 
  • Are they trained in play, art, or music therapy? (If that’s a service you’re seeking.)
  • How much of their practice is working with teens (or younger children)?
  • How will they handle therapy sessions with an uncooperative child? 
  • What are their confidentiality policies? (Will they tell you what your child says?)
  • Will you work with the therapist alongside your child? 
  • Will any other family members, like siblings, be involved in any sessions? 

Also, consider cultural or spiritual beliefs that are important to you. For example if you prefer a certain faith-based therapy or if you or your child are a member of the LGBTQ+ community, will the therapist be understanding and supportive? 

You want to work with someone with whom you feel you and your child can have a strong therapeutic alliance, a relationship of trust between therapist and client. A strong alliance increases the chances of positive outcomes in therapy. Sometimes it can take a few sessions to get a good feel for how the therapist works. Remember that you can always change providers if your first choice doesn’t work out.

Additional resources

Stigmas surrounding mental health continue to fade. Excellent resources have aided that process and helped children and families get the support they need. Here are more information and resources as you prepare your child for the treatment they need:

Final thoughts 

Children’s mental health remains a significant concern for families across the United States — with rates of anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges among young people continuing to rise. Early intervention can help your child process difficult emotions, circumstances, and experiences. Therapy can also give your child tools to help them succeed socially and academically. 

Grow Therapy believes everyone should have access to affordable mental health care. We can connect you with a network of 25,000+ providers, with filters to help you narrow down the list to include providers licensed in your state and who accept your insurance for in-person or online therapy. Book your first appointment after answering three simple questions, and get your child on a path to better mental health. 

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Frequently asked questions

Children can start therapy at any age — even toddlers can benefit from play-based therapeutic approaches when developmental or behavioral concerns arise. The type of therapy and level of parental involvement will vary significantly depending on the child’s age. Most child therapists work with children from around age 3 upward, with different approaches for preschoolers, elementary-age children, and adolescents.

Be honest with your child in an age-appropriate way — let them know they’re going to talk to someone whose job is to help kids with their feelings. Avoid framing therapy as a punishment or something to be scared of. For younger children, you might describe it as “a special place where you can play and talk.” For older children and teens, acknowledge their feelings about going and give them space to ask questions. Let the therapist take the lead in the first session.

Not necessarily — and this is by design for older children and teens. Many child therapists ask parents to agree to confidentiality policies that give the child space to speak openly. Exceptions exist if the therapist believes the child may harm themselves or others. Ask about the therapist’s specific confidentiality policy in your first session so you know what to expect.

It depends on what your child is working on. Some children benefit from a short course of therapy — 8 to 12 sessions — focused on a specific concern like school anxiety or a family transition. Others benefit from longer-term support, particularly for conditions like ADHD, autism, or trauma. Your child’s therapist will discuss a treatment plan with you after the initial assessment.

About Isbell Oliva-Garcia

Isbell Oliva-Garcia is a licensed mental health counselor, bilingual in English and Spanish. Isbell specializes in women's issues during difficult times of transition and also works with front-line individuals struggling with PTSD or stressors created by the job.
This article is not meant to be a replacement for medical advice. We recommend speaking with a therapist for personalized information about your mental health. If you don’t currently have a therapist, we can connect you with one who can offer support and address any questions or concerns. If you or your child is experiencing a medical emergency, is considering harming themselves or others, or is otherwise in imminent danger, you should dial 9-1-1 and/or go to the nearest emergency room.