Preparing young children and their parents for psychotherapy

Includes bibliographical references (pages 23-24)A need for preparing young children, ages two and one-half to seven, for psychotherapy became evident during the course of this author???s clinical training. Children brought for therapy frequently did not know what to expect and were sometimes fearful. A review of the relevant literature on children???s expectations of treatment confirmed a widespread lack of knowledge, misconceptions, distortions as well as many fears and fantasies on the part of children brought for psychotherapy. There was no formal method of preparation at this author???s placement. The task was usually left to the parent who was often unfamiliar with therapeutic procedures and, therefore, found it difficult to inform the child. Difficulties leading to the need for treatment made this a stressful time for the parent; this was communicated to the child. The problem addressed by this paper was how to effectively prepare the young child prior to the first visit. The proposed solution was a book to be read by the parent to the child before the first visit. The book would provide concrete information about the new situation, explore reasons for going, and address fears and fantasies the child may be experiencing. It was suggested that this preparation would help clear up misconceptions, alleviate some anxiety, and thereby contribute to a positive, therapeutic experience