Mental Health Awareness
Tamalpais Pediatrics cares deeply about the health and well-being of all families. While some may think that this means physical health, in our practice we take a whole-child approach. This means caring for both the mental and physical well-being of children and families.
We hope to raise awareness around mental health and help families determine how they can stay healthy and where they can begin to heal. Over the past few years, conversations around and knowledge of mental health have been increasing, but many misconceptions still exist. This article will provide basic information about what therapy is and what to expect from treatment.
It is important to recognize that mental health challenges are common in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9.4% (approximately 5.8 million) of children aged 3-17 have an anxiety diagnosis, 4.4% (approximately 2.7 million) have a depression diagnosis, and 9.8% (approximately 6 million) have an ADHD diagnosis. Mental health challenges can begin in early childhood, and the CDC reports that 17.4% of children aged 2-8 have a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder and that these diagnoses become more common with increased age. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around the world, more than 13% (approximately 166 million) adolescents aged 10-19 live with a diagnosed mental health challenge, and anxiety and depression make up about 40% of these diagnoses. These prevalence statistics trend higher in females (27%) than in males (18%), and are more common among younger individuals than older individuals. While these diagnoses and labels can seem scary and overwhelming, they are merely a guide to help treatment to be successful. What is often helpful for the children, teens, and adults with these challenges is to remember that they are not alone, that many other people are also going through similar experiences, and there is help available.
There are many different avenues towards positive growth and change.
Some people find self-help resources valuable. There are many resources out there, ranging from books to websites to videos. You can look at the Behavioral Health Resources tab on the Tamalpais Pediatrics website for book, website and video suggestions. Some additional self-help website resources are as follows:
Some people find that hotlines are helpful. Hotlines are staffed with trained crisis counselors who can help you or your loved one navigate a challenging experience. The following are hotlines that can offer support for a variety of challenges:
Some people find that gathering information online to better understand their experience is helpful. Although the internet can hold valuable information, it can also hold misinformation, so we caution using that as the sole or primary way to assess or treat mental health concerns. Some reliable sources of information about mental health conditions are:
What is Therapy?
Mental health therapy, sometimes called psychotherapy or counseling, is when an individual meets with a trained mental health provider to address mental health symptoms. The overarching goal of therapy is for the individual to be able to improve function in all areas of their life, and increase overall health and well-being. This is done through a variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, patterns and behaviors. Therapy takes place in many different forms, with individuals, couples, parents and families, or groups. Sessions are usually held weekly for 50-minutes, unless the therapist and patient determine that a different structure may be a better fit. Therapy can be either short-term to address a specific, immediate issue or long-term to manage more complex, long-standing concerns.
You may be wondering, “What are the signs that it might be helpful for me or my child to begin therapy?” Some people come to therapy because they feel depressed or anxious. Others may be struggling with relationships or managing strong emotions. Some may feel that they need help navigating a very specific problem or situation like the transition to high school, social relationships or grieving a death.
Some are unsure whether or not therapy could be helpful. If you are feeling unsure, some signs that you could benefit from therapy include feeling hopeless or helpless most days, having suicidal ideation, finding it difficult to accomplish your every day activities, feeling like things you used to enjoy are no longer fun, being unable to control your worrying and overthinking, always expecting the worst to happen, finding it difficult to concentrate on assignments or tasks and feeling like you are unable to feel better despite your best efforts.
No matter your reason for beginning therapy, here is what you can expect when you walk through the therapist’s door. Your therapist will go through an intake process, where they will learn detailed information about you and what your needs are to best support you in your journey to health and wellness. Your therapist will want to know about your background and the experiences that you have had which have left you wanting extra support. This involves exploring all areas of your life – the symptoms you are currently experiencing, your relationships with others and your performance at school or in work. Your therapist will also review what therapy is, what confidentiality is, the limits of confidentiality, expectations for attendance and other logistical details for your sessions.
You and your therapist will work together to come up with goals and a plan for treatment. As therapy continues, your therapist may assign “homework” in between sessions, like journaling or practicing specific skills that you have learned. Homework allows for the patient to strengthen skills between sessions and facilitate success in treatment. Therapist sessions will be primarily talk-based, although therapists may incorporate other modalities into sessions depending on the age of the patient and their needs. Therapists may use books, games, art, sand trays, and other resources in session to facilitate the therapeutic progress.
Choosing a Therapist
If you are interested in beginning therapy, here are some tips on how to find and choose a therapist. Therapy can be provided by a few different types of mental health professionals including Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC), and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW). All these licenses listed above can and do provide individual, group, and family psychotherapy depending on their speciality.
Psychologists (PhD/PsyD) can provide therapy but may also provide a range of psychological testing.
Psychiatrists (MD/DO) can provide therapy and medication management. In some circumstances, it can be beneficial for people to use medication in addition to regular psychotherapy.
Some tips on how to find a therapist include: looking at Psychology Today profiles, referrals from your medical provider or someone you know, or calling your insurance to see what resources are available and what providers are in and out of your insurance network. No matter which avenue seems to be the best fit for you and your family, talking with your medical provider is a great place to start. All of us at Tamalpais Pediatrics are ready to help you and your family achieve the best possible health and well-being.
