Finding the Best Psychologist for Your Child

Successful people tend to invest their money wisely, and there is no better investment than one which improves your child’s academic progress or psychological well being.  Finding the best psychologist in Tampa for your child’s individualized needs may seem like a daunting task.  This post addresses the question: How can I find the best child psychologist in Tampa, and how can I be sure the psychologist is qualified to meet my child’s specific needs?  

In most states including Florida, the term "psychologist" is a protected title.  Only individuals licensed in Florida may refer to themselves as psychologists or school psychologists and may describe their reports or services as "psychological."  The Florida Department of Health assures applicants for licensure meet rigorous training in approved institutions and internships and have also completed supervised post-doctoral residency. 

First, it is helpful to know the types of treatment professional and their areas of expertise.  Psychologists usually specialize.  Some help people with mental problems.  Others help people deal with divorce and death of a family member or friend.  Psychologists work with people of all ages, but some work mainly with old people or young people.

School psychologists

School psychologists apply psychology to helping children and young people with a wide range of issues that impact academic functioning.  They deal with difficulties in learning and social adjustment.  School psychologists help children and youth succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.  They collaborate with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students that strengthen connections between home and school.

School psychologists are highly trained in both psychology and education.  They must complete a minimum of a Specialist-level degree program (60 graduate semester credits) that includes a 1200-hour internship and emphasizes preparation in the following: data-based decision making, consultation and collaboration, effective instruction, child development, student diversity and development, school organization, prevention, intervention, mental health, learning styles, behavior, research, and program evaluation.

Clinical Psychologists

A clinical psychologist aims to reduce psychological distress and to enhance and promote psychological well-being. A wide range of psychological difficulties may be dealt with, including anxiety, depression, relationship problems, learning disabilities, child and family problems and serious mental illness.

Clinical psychologists work largely in health and social care settings including hospitals, health centers, community mental health teams, child and adolescent mental health services and social services.

Neuropsychologists

Neuropsychologists work with people of all ages with neurological problems, which might include traumatic brain injury, stroke, toxic and metabolic disorders, tumors and neuro-degenerative diseases. Neuropsychologists require not only general clinical skills and knowledge of the broad range of mental health problems, but also a substantial degree of specialist knowledge in the neurosciences.  Specialist skills are required in the assessment of neurological patients, and rehabilitation encompasses a broad range of specialist behavioral and cognitive interventions not only for the client, but also for the client's family and careers.

After determining the type of psychologist for your child needs, it is then helpful to identify the psychologist’s therapeutic orientation and to see if this is a match for your child’s particular issues.  There is much debate over which orientation is most useful for different situations.  Although the psychodynamic orientation as developed by Freud has been around the longest, in most academic and scientific settings the behavioral or cognitive behavioral approach is generally given the most credit in terms of effectiveness and has the most research data to support effectiveness.  However, some studies suggest that all orientations can be effective.

Behavior Therapy focuses on overt behavior and emphasizes the removal of those overt symptoms.  The goal of this form of treatment is the extinction of maladaptive behaviors and the substitution of more adaptive and less anxiety provoking behaviors.  Behavior therapy is based upon the principles of learning theories, specifically operant and classical conditioning. In its purity, it focuses solely on behaviors with no emphasis on the client's private experiences, past, or inner conflicts. It is typically brief in the number of sessions and is often used in the treatment of phobias, compulsions, psycho-physiological problems, and sexual dysfunctions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based upon the concept that an individual's affect and behavior is determined by the way in which the individual structures the world through cognitions and schemas developed from previous experiences.  Through therapy, the client becomes aware of their cognitive distortions and works towards changing them. Behavioral techniques are used to test and help change these maladaptive cognitions. Cognitive Behavioral therapy is evidence-based, which means that it is supported by research that proves that it is effective in helping people make emotional and behavioral changes.

Existential/Humanistic Therapy: The core of existentialism states that the individual defines life's direction through choices that also gives the individual the responsibility of those choices. This may be a source of anguish for the person.  In this therapy, the person is viewed as an individual who is unique and reflects individual perceptions and attitudes.  Therapy explores the experience of the client and in what manner mental phenomena present themselves to the client's consciousness.  Humanism comes from the same movement as existentialism and focuses strongly on a person's sense of self (self-identity and self-esteem). Psychotherapy is geared to helping the client find a sense of security, insight, enthusiasm, and self-identity.

Interpersonal focuses on improvement in current interpersonal skills and is often used as a brief treatment with depressive disorders.  Clients are taught to evaluate their interactions with others and produce an awareness of how those reactions may isolate themselves and contribute to feelings of depression and loneliness.  Techniques involve reassurance, clarification of feelings, communication and interpersonal skills, and testing of perceptions. The therapist is supportive and aids the client in making decisions and clarifying areas of conflict.

Psychodynamic derives from the traditional Psychoanalytic theories of Freud involving the resolution of childhood neurosis as it presents itself in transference of the neurosis.  The goal of treatment is the gradual integration of previously repressed material into the overall structure of the personality.  The therapist needs to prepare the client to deal with anxieties produced by uncovered material to allow successful integration.  The therapeutic alliance is key to this type of treatment that involves the patient being open and honest with the therapist, free association, abstinence, and interpretation of transference and countertransference.  Traditionally, treatment is long term, but is now implemented in many short-term treatments.

As a school psychologist focused on producing measurable results my clinical orientation is beahvioral or cognitive behavioral depending on the issue.  I focus on the here and now, not on past conflicts.  In therapy behavior is measured and I work with the child to take sensible, realistic steps to change the behavior.  I rely heavily on behavioral charts and behavioral contracts.  Additionally, teaching of replacement behaviors is done which, in the case of learning disability treatment, can include new study skills, memorization techniques, better classroom behaviors, and anything necessary in order to improve the child’s overall functioning and/or academic performance.