Anonymous wrote:I disagree that therapy is always goal oriented. Psychoanalysis for one. If 2-3x a week long term. You don't always need a crisis to be in therapy. A sounding board, an hour of me time to decompress is always helpful at any age. Maybe not every week all the time. But 1-2x a month and periods that need more they can go more

Wow. Although I will always be grateful for the 8 years I spent in analysis, and what it did for me, it was the hardest time in my life emotionally. I can't imagine putting my kid thorough that pain.

Anonymous wrote:I disagree that therapy is always goal oriented. Psychoanalysis for one. If 2-3x a week long term. You don't always need a crisis to be in therapy. A sounding board, an hour of me time to decompress is always helpful at any age. Maybe not every week all the time. But 1-2x a month and periods that need more they can go more

Psychoanalysis for an 8 year old? You can't be serious. I think you would have had to know that I was specifically discussing therapies that are appropriate for a child and goal oriented therapy would absolutely be the protocol and best practice.

I disagree that therapy is always goal oriented. Psychoanalysis for one. If 2-3x a week long term. You don't always need a crisis to be in therapy. A sounding board, an hour of me time to decompress is always helpful at any age. Maybe not every week all the time. But 1-2x a month and periods that need more they can go more

Your child has time for an extra appointment every week? My hat is off to you, OP. My child doesn't even have time for Brownies.

I'm a therapist and I wouldn't take on this kind of case. Therapy should be goal oriented, purposeful. Someone who has been in therapy since the age of 12 and still maintains positive feelings about it is the rare exception, almost every other person would be very resentful that their parents made them go for that long. I think you would run a huge risk of permanently turning your child off of therapy altogether if you do this and I would question the ethics of a therapist who would take this on. Just my two cents.

Anonymous wrote:Id only send my kid if he needed it. Not as a preventive measure. I talk to "my" therapist about how to handle various parenting issues. And now some kid issues (navigating friendships, etc. ) typical kid stuff but I value an expert's opinion to balance my own reactions.

THIS!

It's an interesting idea, OP. With modern life the way it is, with the lack of extended family around for a lot of people, and less involvement in social institutions like churches, there seems to be a lack of that extended support network for kids (and adults) these days. I can imagine it being very useful for a child, but wouldn't it be hard for them to understand the limited role a therapist can play in their life? If it's short, goal oriented therapy, that isn't such an issue. But long term supportive therapy -- the lines could start to blur for them and that could be hard.

We want just another trusted adult as an outlet for them if for some reason they can't or won't talk to us. I guess just a strong support network

What exactly would you be trying to prevent? You know therapists don't have a crystal ball, right? They can't tell what's coming down the pike and prevent that. What if they see spousal abuse so they prevent rages, but instead your kid becomes a chronic pot smoker? Will you sue because they failed to prevent it?

I don't think it is a bad idea but insurance tends not to cover it so it sounds costly.

I think adults use therapy differently than kids do. I think for kids it is a great option if they are having some difficulty (even a mild one) but it tends to be time limited and goal oriented. Adults often use therapy as a sounding board, a place of unconditional acceptance where they can work through challenges--for kids, parents provide a lot of that. If your child needs more than you can provide, then therapy is a good resource.

Id only send my kid if he needed it. Not as a preventive measure. I talk to "my" therapist about how to handle various parenting issues. And now some kid issues (navigating friendships, etc. ) typical kid stuff but I value an expert's opinion to balance my own reactions.

Well just like any dr you only go if you need to.

My kids are 5 and 8. My 5 yr old started seeing a child psycologist at 4 for a social skills group. At the same time, my 7 yr old saw a therapist to deal with her anger and resentment towards her brother. Therapy went well and both kids stopped.

Now the 8 yr old sees a therapist to help her learn to manage her anxiety.

Do your kids need therapy?

Wondering if anyone has done this for their child. We very much see talk therapy as part of a healthy life and an. Therapist as an important health care provider. I've been in therapy since I was 12 and the same therapist for 8 years now.

Sending our Kid to therapy at age between 8-10,for the first time and treating it as a regular Dr appt. Pros and cons?