When Child Therapy Doesn't Work

For many parents, child therapy represents a sort of last resort for emotional and behavioral issues that can't seem to be resolved within the home. Frustrated by performance in school, shocked by attitude or certain actions within the family or amongst friends, or concerned that a difficult or traumatic event may have a negative impact, parents may seek the help of a child counselor to improve their child's mental health and well-being, and create a better family life. While a great majority of young clients who work with a child counselor are able to experience personal improvement and empowerment, the discipline, as with all other mental health treatments, is not guaranteed to work, and some courses of child counseling may fail.

It can be tempting to understand such failure as an indication that something is truly or irrevocably “wrong” with either a child or with therapy itself, but when a given case is considered individually and with an honest perspective, finding the reasons why the real reasons why the counseling failed can be achieved. Sometimes, the match between a child and a counselor (or even the parents and the counselor) may simply not be conducive to positive and meaningful work. Though therapy professionals work towards building strong yet strict relationships with their clients, some partnerships can prove to be untenable for a wide variety of reasons. In such cases, parents may wish to consider working with a different counselor.

Children and adolescents who are especially negative towards therapy may reject treatment and make any progress during sessions and at home particularly difficult. Often, counselors are able to help their clients overcome blocks to care and become enthusiastic about their potential. When such a change does not take place, parents can consider working with a different professional or talking to their children themselves about why the counseling is being sought and what it is hoped the treatment will achieve. Therapy for children can be a powerful tool to enhance the childhood experience and overcome personal difficulties, but it must not be expected to return the precisely desired results with each and every execution.

By: Suzanne Handler

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