Tag Archive for: Child Psychology

Interview with High Schoolers

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Several bright and insightful St. Charles High School students recently visited Plum Tree. They’re finishing Psychology courses and had great questions for a clinical psychologist. Here’s what they wanted to know:

1. How many years of experience have you had in being a therapist?

About 10 years.

2. What are your areas of expertise?

Psychological Assessment, IQ Testing, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Suicidal/Self-Injury Behaviors

3. How would you describe your treatment style?

Solutions-focused, collaborative, evidence-based, and genuine.

4. What type of therapeutic strategies do you think work most effectively?

• For ADHD: Coaching strategies, where the focus is on developing organization, improving attention, managing restlessness, improving time-management, and establishing priorities
• For Self-injury/Suicide: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• For children’s mental illness: play therapy, behavioral parenting, and cognitive-behavioral therapy

5. Do you think our society overemphasizes happiness?

No, but society isn’t clear about how to achieve happiness. Particularly teens are bombarded by social media emphasizing fame, fortune, and beauty. In fact, none of these are linked directly to happiness.

6. What made you want to be a psychologist?

I enjoy a challenge. No science seems as complicated and nuanced as that of human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

7. Why did you pick to work with children and adolescents?

I’ve always “spoke their language.” This population of people is easily misunderstood. There’s nothing so fulfilling as being the interpreter between a child and his/her caregivers, teachers, and other important adults.

8. How do you decide which approach is best for the patient?

I weigh a combination of patient (or parent) goals, treatment history, symptomology, research, and clinical experience.

6. What has to happen during a session for therapy to be successful?

The patient should feel validated and also supported to change.

7. What are the measurable criteria you use to assess how well treatment is working?

It varies per person. Every patient has a treatment plan with measurable goals and timelines. I also conduct intermittent screenings with psychological tests to monitor progress. Of course, patient (and parent) feedback is an important part of assessing the effects of treatment.

8. Do you believe the effects of labeling are true? In the way that when a patient is diagnosed with a certain disorder they act in that labeled way and also the people around them treat them differently according to their diagnosis?

A diagnosis is not a judgment; it’s a fact. Just as there are criteria and scientific evidence to medical diagnoses (e.g., diabetes, colds, cancer) mental illnesses have criteria and scientific evidence. So, just as it’s appropriate and effective to label someone with flu symptoms as having the flu, it’s appropriate and effective to label someone with anxiety symptoms as having anxiety.

Diagnoses (or, labels) are tied to evidence-based treatments, scientific literature, and clinical outcomes. So, when a patient is accurately diagnosed, then treatment pathways become clear. It also allows for different treatment providers to speak the same language about what issues/treatment goals are.

Overwhelmingly, patients can be relieved by learning about their diagnoses. They may have felt “different” all along. The knowledge that there is a name, a treatment, and a community of people with similar issues can be—in itself—an effective therapeutic experience.

Of course, there’s still a lot of public stigma around mental illness. People who have it can be embarrassed or feel inept. Since the idea of mental illness can make others uneasy, patients may experience some ostracizing. Public education is needed.

9. In your opinion, what is the most common diagnosis? Has that changed in the last several years, if so, how?

Trending shows that—for pediatric populations—Bipolar Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorders, are on the rise. ADHD has been on the rise for at least a decade now, too.

10. Do you think that therapy is the best choice for all who may need it?

Yes.

 

What is a Child and Adolescent Psychologist

What is a Child and Adolescent Psychologist?

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What is a child and adolescent psychologist?

Clinical psychologists have doctoral-level training to provide therapy (including coaching) and consultation, and psychological testing. They are the only providers who can administer psychological tests to diagnose mental illness. Training at this level allows for expert knowledge in “psychopathology”–mental illness. Child and adolescent psychologists have advanced training and backgrounds in providing psychological services to young people.

Just as you take your child to a medical doctor who specializes in children (pediatrician), you should look to a child psychologist if your child needs help with emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. A child and adolescent psychologist is an expert in developmental psychology—so she knows what is normal and abnormal for children from birth to young adulthood. It also usually means that she is “good with” kids. In order to get better, your child should enjoy (even while working hard) spending time with the psychologist. The psychologist should see the many strengths in your child—since these are the building blocks for improvement. Feedback about parenting strategies is critical when working with young people, and this is part of a psychologists’ duty, too. A child and adolescent psychologist should have strong lines of communication with parents and caregivers.

Therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist…who does what?

• Clinical Psychologists provide psychological assessments and therapy to different types and ages of people. They usually advertise their specialty. They may also obtain advanced training in types of therapeutic interventions. They do not (in Illinois) provide medications. Clinical psychologists with a Psy.D. have more clinically-based training. This means their studies focused on how theories and therapies actually impact clients. Psychologists with a Ph.D. have more research-based training. Providers with doctoral-level training have typically spent between 5-7 years in graduate studies. No matter the degree, psychologists treating clients should be licensed. This means the state government has certified that the practitioner has met educational and knowledge requirements to provide mental health services.

• Therapists include a variety of folks, and most of them have at least a Bachelor’s Degree and some training in helping people. It is more common for therapists to have a Master’s Degree. Therapists are also called counselors, coaches, mentors, and advisors. They cannot conduct psychological testing or provide medications. They provide talk-based and activity-based therapy to a range of populations. They usually advertise a specific area of interest or specialty. Providers with master’s-level training have typically spent 2 years in graduate studies. However, they must attend regular trainings to keep their license active. Licensed therapists have been certified by the state to have met basic educational and knowledge requirements to provide mental health services.

• School psychologists usually obtain Master’s Degrees (though some have a doctorate), and have extensive training in schools and educational systems. They can conduct IQ testing, but particularly Illinois schools have done away with this. They provide counseling and advice to children and academic support teams as to how best to help children at school. They are part of the gatekeeping team that determines what (if any) school supports can be used to optimize a child’s learning. They cannot provide medications.

• Psychiatrists are medical doctors that have advanced training in mental illness. They are the only providers (in the mental health field) who can determine if/what medication may be helpful in addressing psychiatric issues. Psychiatrists are also able to provide in-depth mental health counseling, although they do so less often than psychologists and therapists.

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists have advanced training in working with young people. Although pediatricians can write prescriptions for psychiatric medication, they do not have the advanced training and licensure of a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. Since they are so specialized, it can be difficult to get a short-notice appointment with a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. However, the appointment should be well worth the wait.

Of all mental health providers, it’s good to know: no matter the training or title, there are excellent–and not so excellent–providers at every level. A mental health provider should be a good fit for your family. You should feel informed, motivated, and comfortable with them. The provider should be implementing evidence-based treatments, where goals and benchmarks are defined as early as possible in treatment. If, after 3 months of regular services, your child has not shown reasonable improvements, it may be time to find a new provider.