How Do I Choose the Best Psychiatrist for Teenagers?

When choosing the best psychiatrist for teenagers, asking for a reference from your teen's family doctor is often a good choice. A psychiatrist who specializing in treating adolescents can be the best choice, but if you or your doctor either know or think that a certain condition may be likely, it's also a good idea to pick a professional with experience in that area whether it may be depression, violence, drug abuse or something else. Having several different psychiatrists to consider and having your teenager meet them with you as well as having a say in who the final choice will be may be a positive way to choose the best therapist for your family.

Letting your teen have a say in who will be treating him or her can help you keep an open communication between you and your son or daughter. It can be a good idea to convey to him or her that you want to find a psychiatrist for teenagers that he or she will be comfortable with so that your son or daughter can get the best help possible. This approach will likely help your child confirm that you really care as well as respect his or her participation in such a personal kind of treatment. By having a teenager involved in the very beginning of the treatment, it makes it more likely that he or she will communicate with you during the rest of the process.

Understanding your teen's needs and personality can help you choose the best psychiatrist to treat him or her. You may also want to research the education and practice backgrounds of different psychiatrists for teenagers as a comparison. If your teen has already been diagnosed with a specific disorder and is part of a support group, you could ask parents of another teenager there for recommendations to a psychiatrist who treats their son or daughter.

After narrowing down the options of a psychiatrist for teenagers yourself, you and your teen can then set up consultation meetings before making a choice. In this way, you can ensure the three initial choices of a psychiatrist for teenagers are qualified in their field, suit your budget or insurance and meet your location and appointment time needs. Some psychiatrists will offer a free initial consultation before you agree to ongoing sessions, while others may charge a fee for this meeting. After meeting with your short list of three psychiatrists, you and your teen can discuss which one would be best. Be sure to strongly listen to your teen's views on who he or she would like to select.