- 1). Speak with your insurance company. If you are depending upon insurance funds to pay for all or part of your teen's counseling, check with this carrier before beginning your selection process and acquire a list of counselors from which you can select to ensure that you don't incur any unexpected, uncovered charges.
- 2). Seek referrals. Visit your teen's school and speak to her guidance counselor, or ask your teen's primary care physician to refer you to a counselor who works with teens.
- 3). Study the counselor to determine his specializations. Acquire information about the counselor from the counselor himself or by reviewing the website or advertising materials for his practice. Seek one that specializes in the issues with which your teen is struggling if at all possible.
- 4). Check the counselor's credentials. Because this individual is a counselor and not a certified psychiatrist she will not necessarily have a medical license, but she should have a higher education degree and be certified by the state to operate as a counselor. Specifically ask the counselor about her credentials to ensure that she has the necessary certifications.
- 5). Meet with the counselor. Consider making your first meeting a solo one, speaking to the counselor yourself instead of going with your teen. During this meeting, speak to the counselor about what he plans to do to help your teen and try to determine whether he is someone with whom you could be comfortable.
- 6). Ask about a trial session. Before signing your teen up for a whole course of treatment, inquire as to whether you can have your teen try one session and see how it goes. If, at the end of this initial session, your teen seems comfortable with the counselor, you have likely made a wise choice and should proceed with the counseling.