School Referred My Child to a Therapist
Help! My Child’s School Counselor Referred Us to a Therapist
When parents and students have questions as to why a referral is made to an outside counselor, it’s helpful to remind them of some of the key points below.
Why do school counselors refer to outside counseling groups and psychologists?:
- To provide the student with the opportunity for more one on one help, support, and intervention. By receiving the full attention and support of a dedicated counselor, the child is more likely to be receptive to change and feel that they’re valued and supported.
- Increase specificity of interventions and support and tailor them to the student. Because outside counselors are able to work one-on-one with a child, they can get to know the specifics of issues and customize their approach to achieving results.
- Increases privacy for the student
- Removes the student from the situation or circumstance to discuss solutions to it. This is especially helpful in cases where children are being bullied or under peer pressure.
- Reduces anxiety and pressure on the student; when being sent to a school counselor it’s often viewed as confrontational or “getting in trouble”.
- To increase involvement of parents and family in our therapeutic effort
- Makes the student feel secure by providing a discreet routine and outlet to discuss their issues.
When do counselors choose to make a referral to an outside counseling group/psychologist?:
- When students are over-emotional and cannot calm down in an appropriate and brief amount of time
- When more extensive evaluation, testing, and medication is needed
- When a student’s needs are greater than those the counselor can provide in the school setting
- When a student requires more support and attention to address or solve a problem, issues, etc
- When students need more specific and individualized help, solutions, and plans to address issues
- When a student needs more privacy than a counselor can provide in the school
How do school counselor referrals work?:
- The school’s counselor will review the needs of the student and the issues identified and determine if outside help is needed.
- The school’s counselor will provide the name of the counseling group best able to help the student.
- When the parents & student have set up meetings with the outside counseling group, all pertinent information will be communicated privately back to the school, requiring no additional effort on the part of the parent.