Source: stepbystepcounselingllc.com
Booking your child’s first ever appointment with a therapist is pretty daunting, right? Now imagine what it’s like for your kid. They might feel confused, scared, and even angry at you for doing it without their consent. While it’s understandable that you’re only doing it for their wellness, it is also vital that you can explain to them what counseling is for and why they need to go through it. Lucky for you, there are several tips you can follow to convince your child to undergo counseling. Written below are some of the things that you can do to help your kid see that counseling is a good thing. On that note, do read on.
Explain What A Counselor Is
One of the easiest ways to explain what counseling is to your child is to explain what a counselor does. Tell your kid that counselors are like their grown-up friends that they can confide in when they get sad or when they feel like they are stuck. The same thing goes if you have a teenager in the house that needs help. Explain that these people are there to help and not to judge them for the thoughts inside their head or for the things they did. Tell them that the counselor can help them overcome what’s making them suffer.
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Tell Them That It’s Okay To Take Things Slowly
One of the things that most kids are afraid of when it comes to meeting with counselors is the fact that they have to share personal stuff about them even though it makes themuncomfortable. Tell your child that they can choose not to talk with the counselor during their first meeting. They can just sit there and play cards, try other games,or just read a book. There are therapists out there who can use that time of being ignored to observe how kids move and react to things. Tell them its okay to be reluctant at first, but don’t forget to encourage them to make a connection with the therapist too so that they can open up when the time is right.
Be Open And Explain To Them Why They Need To Do It
Sometimes it’s better to stop sugarcoating things and just tell your kid why you’re worried. Yes, things might become harder because of that but sometimes being open is what allows you to finally reach out to them and make them see why you had to ask for a professional’s help. Tell them why you’re worried but do your best not to make it sound like you’re judging them. The last thing you want is to make them feel like it’stheir fault.
These are just some of the many things you can tell your kid when you want to convince them to undergo counseling. Of course, it won’t be easy, but you have to talk to him. You have to explain why it’s a good thing and reassure him that you will be there all the way. Check out BetterHelp for more info about the importance of counseling.