Child & Youth Education
Child and youth education is the formal review of information with your child about how their problem developed, in a developmentally and age-appropriate way. The goal of doing this technique is to empower the youth with knowledge about their challenge(s). This is also done to provide a rationale for doing treatment (This technique is also known as Psychoeducation-Child in the literature).
Note: This should not be confused with tutoring or receiving educational support through the school system.
What should my therapist be doing?
Helping your child to understand their current mental health condition
Encouraging your child to be interested in participating and learning about different treatments
Provide your child with hope and optimism about getting better
Normalize your child’s concerns by pointing out that many others have experienced their types of difficulties and have improved over time
What should I be doing?
Learning about your child’s mental health condition through materials recommended by your therapist
Asking questions of your therapist as needed (e.g., Will my child always have this condition?)
How will I know if it is working?
Your child should feel less stigma
Your child should have more hope and optimism about improving
Your child is interested in learning about how to cope with his psychological condition
Try it Yourself: How-to Guides and Other Resources
Anxiety Resources
Guided Self-Management Tools for Depression (Boston’s Children’s Hospital): See pages 2-17 for an interactive handout that helps children ages 6-12 and their caregivers understand and manage anxiety through evidence-based, self-paced activities.
Depression Resources
Guided Self-Management Tools for Depression (Boston Children’s Hospital): See pages 2-21 for an interactive handout that helps children ages 6 to 12 and their caregivers understand and manage depression through practical, self-paced activities.
