What to Expect: Our Counseling Process for Children & Teens

Starting counseling for your child shouldn’t feel like a mystery. This is the process our counselors and psychologists follow at Child & Family Development, from the first parent intake through graduation, so you know what happens at each step, how long it takes, and what your role is along the way.

Phase I: Getting Started

It starts with a screening call or referral. From there, the first phase is three steps and usually takes six to eight weeks.

Step 1: Parent Intake

Both parents are invited to a parent-only intake appointment of about an hour. Your child does not attend. In this session, your counselor will:

Gather family and child history: developmental milestones, medical history, parenting styles and approaches, educational and social history
Identify the presenting concern and its timeline
Set specific, measurable treatment goals with you
Clarify expectations and what you hope counseling will change
Walk through treatment approaches, scheduling, confidentiality, and its limits

Step 2: Individual Sessions

Your child then meets with their therapist for five to six weekly appointments of about an hour. These early sessions are where the therapist:

Builds rapport, often through non-directive play for younger children
Identifies and assesses emotional, psychological, and behavioral concerns
Develops a counseling plan tailored to the issues and goals identified at intake
Chooses therapeutic approaches and notes how your child responds
Collects observations and data, and connects with teachers or other providers (with your permission) before the parent follow-up

Step 3: Parent-Only Follow-Up

After the initial sessions, you meet with the therapist again without your child. This appointment runs about an hour because it’s where the coaching happens. Your therapist will:

Share general observations, play themes, and how your child responded to different interventions
Collaborate with you on specific treatment goals, how often sessions should happen, and the plan going forward
Offer referrals if something else would help, such as a psychological evaluation, occupational therapy, speech therapy, or educational services
Give you suggestions, handouts, and resources to use at home
Hear your questions, concerns, and what you’ve noticed since sessions began
Explain how progress will be measured from here

Phase II: Treatment

Once the plan is set, treatment moves into two tracks that run side by side: work with your child, and work with you. Most families do both.

Step 4: Ongoing Individual Sessions and Parent Training

With your child: the therapist implements the techniques and interventions chosen to address the goals. This can be individual sessions, joint sessions with family, or a combination, and the approach is adjusted as your child progresses.

With you: parent training sessions give you specific tools for home. That may include coaching on play-based techniques, behavioral strategies, or how to respond when your child is dysregulated. Expect a little parent “homework” between sessions.

Step 5: Directive Sessions and Joint Sessions

Directive sessions are where the therapist brings in structured approaches to move toward the goals. Depending on your child, these may include:

Mindfulness training
Social-emotional learning and social skills
Expressive arts interventions
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills
Graded exposure for anxiety and fears
Family play therapy

Joint sessions bring you into the room with your child. The therapist coaches you in real time, building on what you learned in parent training, and gathers more observations to guide feedback and next steps.

Step 6: Regular Parent Follow-Ups

You’ll meet with the therapist for a parent-only follow-up roughly every six to eight appointments to:

Review progress toward the treatment goals
Look at outcome measures and feedback from family, teachers, or other professionals
Adjust the treatment plan so it keeps working

Finishing Well

Step 7: Termination and Graduation

Counseling ends when the goals are met or your child is showing significant, sustained progress. Before you wrap up, your therapist will:

Give your family resources for continued support, such as community resources, referrals, or psychoeducation
Schedule periodic check-ins or maintenance sessions if they’d help

Many families come back for a tune-up during a later transition, such as a new school, a move, or adolescence. That’s normal and welcome.

Download the Process Chart

Our counseling supervisor created a one-page chart of this process that our therapists review with families at intake. Download the Counseling Treatment Process chart (PDF).

Questions Parents Ask About the Process

How long does counseling take from start to finish?

It varies with the child and the goals. Phase I, from intake through the first parent follow-up, is usually six to eight weeks. Many children complete treatment in a few months; others with more complex needs continue longer. Your therapist reviews progress with you at every parent follow-up so you always know where things stand.

Do both parents need to attend the intake?

We invite both parents (or all primary caregivers) to the intake whenever possible, because the therapist gathers history and sets goals with the adults who spend the most time with your child. If that’s not possible, one parent can attend and we can loop the other in by telehealth or at the follow-up.

Will I know what my child talks about in sessions?

You’ll get regular, meaningful feedback at parent follow-ups: general themes, how your child is responding, and what to do at home. Your therapist will not share every detail of every session, because children and teens need to trust that the room is theirs. Anything related to safety is always shared.

How often will I meet with the therapist without my child?

Once at intake, once after the first five to six sessions, and then roughly every six to eight appointments after that. Parent training sessions in Phase II are in addition to those follow-ups and are scheduled based on your family’s needs.

Can parent sessions be done by telehealth?

Yes. Intake, parent follow-ups, and parent training all work well by telehealth. Every counselor is licensed for telehealth in North Carolina, and nine are also licensed for South Carolina residents. Your child’s own sessions are usually in person, especially for younger children.

What if my child needs something other than counseling?

That’s one of the reasons we do a thorough intake and early assessment. If your therapist sees signs that an evaluation, occupational therapy, speech therapy, or educational support would help, they’ll say so at the parent follow-up. Because those services are all here at Child & Family Development, we can coordinate rather than send you elsewhere.

Free Consultation

Your first step: Schedule a free consultation to talk with an expert. If this process sounds like what your family needs, a short call with our intake team is the place to start. We'll answer your questions and match you with a counselor at our Midtown Charlotte or Pineville office.

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