Family difficulties, school problems, or stunted growth, the reasons for consulting child psychologists are more and more numerous and diverse. But what can we expect from these consultations, and when to put them in place? So many questions that parents can ask themselves.

Useless and impossible to list here all the reasons that push parents to consider a consultation for their child. The general idea is rather to be attentive and to know how to spot any symptom or abnormal and worrying behavior of a child.

The first signs of suffering in children and adolescents can be harmless (sleep disturbances, irritability, etc.) but also very worrying (eating disorders, sadness, isolation, etc.). In fact, when the child encounters a difficulty that he cannot solve alone or with your help, you must be vigilant.

To help you understand what may be the reasons for consultation, here are the most common according to age:

• In children under 3 years of age, it is most often developmental delays and sleep disorders (nightmares, insomnia…);
• When starting school, some find it difficult to separate from their parents or find it very difficult to concentrate and / or socialize. Problems with cleanliness may also appear;
• Then in CP and CE1, certain problems, such as learning disabilities, dyslexia or hyperactivity come to the fore. Some children also start to somatize (headaches, stomach aches, eczema…) to hide deeper suffering;
• From entering college, other concerns arise: taunts and sidelining from other children, difficulties in doing homework, poor adaptation to a school for “adults”, problems related to adolescence (Anorexia, bulimia, substance addiction…) ;
• Finally, arriving in high school sometimes causes difficulties in the choice of orientation, opposition with parents or concerns related to sexuality.

It is difficult for parents to judge whether or not their child needs psychological help. If you have any doubts, do not hesitate to seek advice from the people who surround your child on a daily basis (childminders, teachers, etc.).

Most often, parents consider a consultation with a psychologist when one or more family members cannot cope with the situation. The stage of the first symptoms is long past and the suffering is well established. It is therefore quite difficult to assess, quantify and advise a given period to start consultations. As soon as there is the slightest doubt, it is possible to speak to the pediatrician or the general practitioner who follows your child to ask for an opinion and possibly advice and specialist contacts.

And above all, follow your instincts! Your child’s first psychologist is you. At the first signs of behavior change, it is best to communicate with him. Ask him questions about his school life, how he feels and how he feels. Try to open a dialogue to help him unload and confide. This is the first real step to allow him to get better.

And if, despite your best efforts and all your attempts at communication, the situation remains blocked and its behavior is different from what you are used to, do not hesitate to consult a specialist.

Before his first session, the parents’ role is to explain and reassure the child about the progress of the meeting. Tell him that he will meet a person who is used to working with children and that he will have to draw, play and talk with this person. Dramatizing the consultation will allow him to consider it serenely and put the odds on his side for a quick outcome.

The duration of the follow-up varies greatly depending on the child and the problem to be treated. For some people the floor will be released after a session, while others will take more than a year to confide. But one thing is certain, the more therapy involves a young child, the shorter it is.

At the same time, the role of parents is decisive. Even if your presence during appointments is not frequent, the therapist will need to be able to rely on your motivation and ensure that he has your agreement to interfere in your family life by questioning the child and to be able to give you some constructive advice.

For therapy to be successful, the whole family must feel involved and motivated.