Plain, practical guidance for helping your child know what to expect before counselling, with child and youth support in person and online. Registered Psychologists and Registered Provisional Psychologists regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Registered Social Workers regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), Certified Canadian Counsellors certified by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. In person in Edmonton and St. Albert, and virtual anywhere in Alberta. Open seven days a week.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Therapy Is Right for Your Child, and How to Bring It Up

You may be unsure whether what your child is going through is big enough to bring to a therapist. You might also worry that just raising the idea will make your child think something is wrong with them, or that they are in trouble. Many caregivers hold both doubts at once, and that can make it hard to decide anything at all.

Maybe you have rehearsed the conversation in the car and still not found the words. Maybe your child goes quiet, or changes the subject, whenever you mention talking to someone. Or you catch yourself wondering whether you should have noticed sooner, or whether asking for help says something about your parenting.

Hesitation like this is a common response to an unfamiliar step. It is not a sign that you are doing something wrong. Children react to new experiences in many ways too: curiosity, worry, silence, and flat refusal can all show up, sometimes in the same afternoon. None of these reactions means something is permanently wrong with your child or your family.

This page is written for caregivers who are still deciding, those who are ready to book, and relatives or co-parents looking into options on a child's behalf. If a child is not safe right now, the crisis resources in the next section are the place to start. If you are considering whether speaking with someone could help, you may wish to read on and see what getting ready for a first appointment can look like.

Who We Help

This guidance, and our counselling for children and youth, may be a good fit for:

• Parents and guardians preparing a child or teen for a first counselling appointment
• Caregivers who are unsure what to tell a child about why they are going
• Families where a child has questions, worries, or strong feelings about seeing a therapist
• Teens who want to understand what therapy involves before they agree to it
• Grandparents, co-parents, and other relatives gathering information for a child in their life

It may not be the right fit for:

• Emergencies or immediate safety concerns. Please use the crisis resources below.
• Legal or court-related needs. Counselling is not a custody evaluation, a parenting time report, or a way to gather evidence for a legal matter. These needs are outside this therapy service. Psychological assessments are a separate service.
• Finding out what happened to a child. Therapy is not an investigative process. If you believe a child has been harmed, the Family Violence Info Line listed below can help you understand your options.

If Someone Needs Help Right Now

Counselling appointments are booked ahead of time and are not set up to respond to emergencies. If a child or anyone else is in immediate danger, or you are worried about someone's safety today, please contact one of these services:

• 911 for immediate danger, or go to the nearest emergency department
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• Family Violence Info Line (Alberta): 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free)
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868 (24/7)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

Preparing a child for therapy means helping them understand, in words that fit their age, what counselling is, where it happens, and who they will meet. At Wholesome Psychology, this preparation sits alongside counselling for children and youth. The administrative team can answer practical questions before the first appointment, and the therapist carries the conversation forward with your child once sessions begin.

It helps to be clear about what this service is not:

• It is not a legal service, an investigative process, or crisis intervention.
• It is not a psychological assessment. Counselling does not include formal testing or diagnostic reports. Psychological assessments are a separate service.
• It is not a diagnosis. Nothing on this page can tell you whether your child has a particular condition.

Your child sets the pace. The therapist guides each session and brings in what caregivers share, but a child is not expected to talk about anything before they are ready. What your child shares is kept confidential, with some legal limits that the therapist explains at the start (see Confidentiality and Privacy below).

Each clinician works within the scope of their training, credential, and regulatory body. If your child's needs fall outside what a clinician offers, they can talk with you about other options, including support elsewhere.

Signs Starting Therapy May Be Weighing on Your Child or Your Family

Before a first appointment, some families notice patterns like these:

• Your child asks "Am I in trouble?" or "Is something wrong with me?" when therapy comes up.
• They go quiet, change the subject, or say they will not go.
• They seem more clingy, irritable, or tearful in the days before a new appointment.
• They complain of a sore stomach or have trouble settling at bedtime the night before.
• They ask lots of questions about what the therapist will ask, or whether they will have to talk.
• An older child or teen worries that friends, teachers, or relatives will find out.
• You keep putting off the conversation because you are not sure what to say.
• You and a co-parent or relative see the decision differently.

These are common reactions to something new. A clinical guideline on children's healthcare experiences notes that unfamiliar settings, and meeting new professionals, can be unsettling for children and may lead to anxiety and distress (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2021).

Reactions like these do not mean something is permanently wrong, and they do not predict how therapy will go. A predictable, unhurried introduction to counselling gives a child room to settle in at their own pace.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your child's therapist. You can use the Match with a Therapist tool or read clinician profiles on Our Therapists. If you would rather talk it through, the administrative team can help at 780-904-4880. It is useful to mention your child's age and whether you prefer in-person or virtual sessions.
• Book the first session. The first session includes a discussion of consent, confidentiality, and goals. Depending on your child's age, the clinician, and the appointment format, caregivers may join for all or part of it. If you are unsure what to tell your child beforehand, you can ask when booking.
• Build a plan together. Your family and the therapist create a plan together that reflects your child's needs and what your family hopes to work on. Your child's voice is part of that plan, in a way that suits their age.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly or every two weeks. The schedule can change as needs change.
• Progress check-ins. The therapist reviews progress with you regularly, and the plan adapts as your child's needs shift.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Therapy is collaborative, and your child's input, and yours, matters at every stage. You can read more about the process on Getting Started with Therapy.

Evidence and Approaches

This page is about getting ready for therapy rather than any one type of treatment. The approaches below are preparation and communication practices drawn from a clinical guideline on children's and young people's experience of healthcare (NICE, 2021). Research on specific child therapies, such as play therapy, is not summarized here. Your child's clinician can explain the approach they suggest and why.

Clear, Age-Appropriate Explanations

What it helps with: Giving your child a simple, honest picture of what therapy is, where it happens, and who they will meet.

Evidence summary: NICE recommends tailoring communication and information to a child's age, developmental stage, and understanding, using clear language without jargon (NICE, 2021). It also recommends asking children what they want to know, including where they will be seen and who will be involved, and sharing information in stages so they are not overloaded.

Limitations: This guideline was written for health services in England and covers healthcare in general, not a study of preparing children for counselling. Its recommendations draw on a mix of research, surveys, and expert committee judgement.

Inviting Questions and Small Choices

What it helps with: Letting your child ask questions and make small choices, such as bringing a comfort item, so a new experience feels less out of their hands.

Evidence summary: NICE recommends involving children in decisions about their care in ways that fit their maturity, including small choices that do not affect treatment (NICE, 2021). It also notes that how involved a child wants to be can change from day to day, and that some children may sometimes prefer not to be involved in decisions.

Limitations: Choices should match what is realistic for the appointment, and children do not control consent, scheduling, or confidentiality. The guideline's examples come from medical rather than counselling settings.

Talking About Privacy and Who Will Be in the Room

What it helps with: Helping your child understand what stays private, what caregivers may hear, and when information might have to be shared.

Evidence summary: NICE recommends discussing consent, privacy, and confidentiality directly with children who can understand these ideas, and offering them time with a professional without a caregiver present (NICE, 2021). It also recommends explaining that information may sometimes need to be shared without consent, for example if someone may be in danger.

Limitations: The guideline committee found no research evidence on consent and relied on expert judgement and UK law (NICE, 2021). In Alberta, the rules depend on a child's age, maturity, and circumstances, and your clinician will explain them.

Comfort Items and Familiar Coping Supports

What it helps with: Giving your child something familiar to lean on in a new place, such as a soft toy, music, or a caregiver nearby.

Evidence summary: NICE recommends encouraging children to ask for the support they need and to use coping techniques they already have, such as a parent's presence, a hand to hold, music, or a soft toy (NICE, 2021). The guideline committee also reported evidence that children and young people value help to identify and use coping techniques.

Limitations: This recommendation comes from healthcare visits and procedures broadly, not counselling specifically. What helps one child may not help another.

Play, Drawing, and Other Creative Ways to Communicate

What it helps with: Giving younger children, and children who find talking hard, other ways to share what is on their mind.

Evidence summary: NICE recommends using creative and interactive tools suited to a child's development, such as play dough, pictures, diagrams, and writing, to support communication (NICE, 2021). It also recommends respecting times when a child does not want to talk, and trying again later or in a different way.

Limitations: These are communication recommendations, not evidence that any particular play-based therapy works. Whether sessions include play or drawing depends on the clinician and the child.

What Results to Expect

Preparing your child well does not guarantee a smooth first session, and a hard first visit does not mean therapy is failing. Progress is rarely a straight line. A child's willingness to engage can vary from one day or appointment to the next, which a clinical guideline on children's care also recognizes (NICE, 2021).

Some children and families notice shifts within a few months. Others benefit from longer-term work. How things unfold can depend on:

• the nature of what your child has been through or is dealing with
• current circumstances at home, at school, and with friends
• your child's age and stage of development
• the fit between your child and their therapist

No therapy can guarantee a particular outcome. Fit matters, and if your child does not connect with their therapist, changing therapist or approach is always an option. The administrative team can help with that.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What your child shares in therapy is confidential. Psychologists in Alberta are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists and follow the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Other clinicians follow the standards of their own professional bodies.

Two Alberta laws shape how personal and health information is collected, used, and shared. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) generally applies to private clinics. The Health Information Act (HIA) applies in some health settings, such as when a clinician is employed by or contracted with a health custodian like Alberta Health Services. Your clinician can tell you how these apply to your child's care.

There are legal limits to confidentiality. A clinician may need to share information without consent when:

• there is a risk of serious harm to your child or to someone else
• abuse or neglect of a child is suspected (reporting is mandatory under Alberta law)
• a court orders the release of records

With children, privacy has an extra layer: what caregivers are told. How much is shared with parents or guardians depends on the young person's age, maturity, and circumstances, as well as professional and legal responsibilities. The therapist will explain these limits clearly in the first session, in words your child can understand. You and your child are welcome to ask questions before anyone shares anything personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my child have to talk about what is bothering them, or what happened, in detail?

Not before they are ready. Your child sets the pace, and sessions can begin with something lighter, like getting to know the therapist, drawing, or playing, depending on the clinician and the child. Therapy can also focus on what is happening now, such as sleep, school, or friendships, rather than going back over hard events in detail.

If there is background you would rather not discuss in front of your child, you can ask whether part of a session can be with caregivers only.

Is what my child shares kept private?

Yes, with some limits. Sessions are confidential, but information may need to be shared if there is a risk of serious harm, if abuse or neglect of a child is suspected, or if a court orders it. How much caregivers are told depends on your child's age, maturity, and circumstances. The therapist explains all of this at the first session, and the Confidentiality and Privacy section above has more detail.

How many sessions will my child need?

There is no fixed number. Some children and families find shorter-term work on a specific concern helpful, while others benefit from longer-term support. The therapist reviews progress with you regularly, and the plan can change as your child's needs change.

What if the therapist is not the right fit for my child?

Fit matters, and it is fine to say so. Children sometimes connect better with a different person or style. If the match does not feel right, the administrative team can help you find another clinician. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can my child have therapy sessions online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available anywhere in Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply. Online sessions are not the right fit for every child, so this can be discussed during booking or at the first session.

If you choose virtual sessions, set up a quiet space where your child cannot be overheard. A clinical guideline recommends checking with children in virtual appointments that they can talk freely without being overheard (NICE, 2021). Younger children may need a caregiver's help with the technology.

What should I tell my child before the first appointment, and what if they say they will not go?

Keep it short, honest, and suited to their age. You might say something like: "We are going to meet someone whose job is to listen and help kids and families. You can ask them anything, and we can find out together what the meetings are like." Try to avoid presenting therapy as a punishment or a sign they did something wrong.

If your child refuses, that reaction is common and worth taking seriously rather than arguing with. You can let the clinician know before the session, and they can talk with you about how to approach the first visit.

Do both parents or guardians need to agree before my child starts counselling?

Consent for a child's counselling generally comes from a parent or guardian with the legal authority to make that decision. In some cases, an older child or teen may be able to make this decision for themselves. The details depend on your family's situation.

If parents are separated, if guardianship is shared, or if you are a grandparent or relative caring for a child, mention this when booking. The administrative team can explain what information may be needed before the first session. This page cannot give legal advice about consent or parenting arrangements.

What if my child is not safe at home right now?

Safety comes first. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. The Family Violence Info Line (310-1818, 24/7) can help you think through options if you are worried about abuse or violence at home, including your own safety. Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868) is available to children and teens directly. Counselling can be part of support later, but it is not a substitute for emergency help.

Meet Your Clinicians

Wholesome Psychology's team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Certified Canadian Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), and Student Therapists are completing master's-level practicum training.

Training and areas of focus vary between clinicians. If you are looking for someone who works with children or teens, you can read individual profiles on Our Therapists, use the Match with a Therapist tool, or call the administrative team at 780-904-4880 for guidance. Availability changes, so the team can tell you who is currently accepting new clients.

Children and Youth

Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people, as well as support for the adults who care for them. Therapists who work with younger clients adapt how they communicate to a child's age and stage. Depending on the clinician and the child, that may include play, drawing, or simple activities alongside talking.

Caregivers are part of the picture too. Clinicians work with parents and guardians to support the child's environment at home, and how involved caregivers are varies from family to family. As one Canadian example, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health describes a child and youth service where clinicians meet with young people together with their parents or caregivers, and where education groups are offered to caregivers (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health [CAMH], n.d.).

You may also wish to explore Child and Youth Counselling, Play Therapy, or Parenting Support.

Taking the Next Step

If you would like to learn more, you can take the next step in whichever way suits you:

• Book a session online
• Use the Match with a Therapist tool to find a clinician who suits your child
• Call the administrative team at 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy for more on what the process looks like

Preparation does not need to be perfect. Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (n.d.). Mood & anxiety service for children & youth. https://www.camh.ca/en/patients-and-families/programs-and-services/mood-anxiety-for-children-youth-service
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2021). Babies, children and young people's experience of healthcare.