Here are some questions you can ask if your child needs services for an anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, separation anxiety disorder, OCD, or a specific phobia:
Does the type of treatment you do involve exposure? (The answer should be yes.)
How much experience do you have diagnosing and treating children with anxiety disorders?
Are you board certified and/or licensed?
What are the goals and how many sessions should we expect our child to be in treatment? (CBT is typically time limited with clear goals. Even if the therapist expects complications, they should be able to state their goals and estimate a timeline given the results of their initial evaluation or interview with your child).
What is the parents’ role? (CBT typically requires involvement from parents with younger children and support from parents for older teens. Either way, parents should be meeting regularly with the therapist to understand what is happening during the treatment sessions and be informed about goals and homework for the week and how they can support their child.
What research supports the treatment you are providing?
Do you have specialized training in this type of treatment?
