When Do You Need a Child Psychologist in St. Louis?

You know your child better than anyone else.

As someone who is around them daily and knows them best, you may easily sense when there are changes in their behavior, or you pick up on when they start to experience educational/academic disruptions, and you even notice when there is a sudden shift in managing emotions. These can all be situations that spike concern and may make you start to wonder if you should seek consultation with a child psychologist.

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Child psychologists have a clinical and research focus when working with children, adolescents, and teens, playing a crucial role in addressing mental illness and disorders, making them key clinicians to seek when you become aware of changes in your child.

It might be time to see a Child Psychologist when:

  • your child is having difficulty in school

  • you notice sudden changes in behavior

  • your child is struggling with communication

  • there is a big life transition or a stressful situation occuring

  • your child has experienced trauma

  • there is a shift in personality

Child psychologists have a lot of tools in their belt and are skilled and experienced in assessment, intervention, and prevention. One common job of a child psychologist is providing therapy. But, in addition to providing psychotherapy, like child therapists, child psychologists can perform assessments and make “medical diagnoses,” helping you really get to the bottom of what’s going on.

Psychological assessments are great for helping to determine if you believe your child may be struggling with ADHD, autism, or has a learning difference or special need and would benefit from an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan). Since child psychologists have a doctorate degree the diagnoses that they provide are considered “medical diagnoses” and can be accepted by schools to provide educational accommodations.

Seeking out a Child Psychologist for an evaluation and diagnosis can provide a lot of clarity for parents and help answer the question of: “How can I support my child?”

We all know the frustration and worry that comes with hearing your child is struggling with homework or course work, consequently dropping their grades. You seek out a tutor and spend extra time studying at home, but nothing is helping, leaving you feeling powerless and hopeless.

Image Credit: Gabe Pierce @gaberce on UnSplash

Or, you suddenly notice disruptive changes in their behavior, making you ask, “Where did this come from?”

Or, maybe your child is experiencing a stressful situation like a big move for your family or they are experiencing bullying, leaving them often feeling stressed out and unable to control their emotions.

As a parent, we know you really want to help your child face and overcome their struggles.

When you’ve exhausted all measures and still feel like nothing is working to provide relief for your child, you may need a Child Psychologist. Skilled in assessment and diagnostics, the relief your searching for can be found by consulting with a Child Psychologist in St. Louis.

Our intake coordinators can help you assess if you should see a Child Psychologist or one of our amazing, skilled therapists at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis. We’re happy to help you and we've even worked to build a referral network of expert Child Psychologists that we’d love to connect you with.

Curious to learn more about child psychology or child counseling? Compassionate Counseling St. Louis specializes in anxiety and anger management counseling for kids, teens, and college students - and we love helping parents figure out the next best steps for their child or teen, including referring out for psychological evaluations and assessments. You can set up a free 15-minute phone consult with us right on our website, at www.compassionatecounselingstl.com/consult


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What is the Difference Between a Child Therapist and a Child Psychologist?

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St. Louis Teen Therapist Samantha Ferrarra LMSW, Anxiety Specialist