Child Psychiatry Consultation

How does a consultation take place ?

A consultation always begins with several steps.

“To begin with, the children and parents must be educated,” explains the specialist. In the first sessions, which usually last 45 minutes, she receives the child with its parents.

After discussing the reason for the consultation and the history, the following sessions are adapted: if the child can be left alone with a therapist, part of the therapy will be done individually. The work of the child psychiatrist is adapted to the age of the child, and different forms of expression can be used depending on the context: speech, games, drawing, etc. Other medical resources can be used if necessary, such as virtual reality or hypnosis, depending on the therapist’s speciality. If there is a need for parental guidance, the parents will talk alone with the child psychiatrist during a certain number of sessions.

The third step is then to meet the child and the parents together, to work on the care project. “The role of the parents should not be underestimated: they are the ones who help the child to get better every day,” she insists. “Especially in the case of children under 5, we must use the parents’ resources: they are like co-therapists! Moreover, regaining control revalues the parental image: you have to give them back their self-confidence so that they regain possession of their parental faculties.

Preparing for a visit to the child psychiatrist

A visit to the child psychiatrist does not need to be particularly well prepared, you just need to come with your child’s health record. “Sometimes parents make lists of points to be discussed or their questions. This is a way of getting involved in the therapy, but everyone does as he or she feels,” explains the child psychiatrist.