Top 5 Challenges Child & Family Therapists Face and How Consultation Can Help
By Leah Band
As a therapist in a solo private practice working with kids, adolescents, and their families, a few months ago I found myself in need of consultation following a phone call with the parent of a client. It was supposed to be a short check-in about my client’s progress in treatment but the call quickly led me questioning my own clinical skills and if I really did know what was in my client’s best interest for treatment moving forward.
One part of me knew that my clinical assessment of the dynamics playing out was right on, however the other part of me wondered if maybe I didn’t know what I was doing. I hated questioning myself and feeling professionally insecure, so I reached out for support from a trusted clinical supervisor.
As a therapist in private practice here’s a few of the challenges that you may have found yourself in as you work with your child and adolescent clients and their families.
Why Private Practice Can Be Isolating for Child and Family Therapists
You may work in a building where you’re the only therapist around or maybe you’re in a suite with adult therapists and you work with kids and families. This is hard. As therapists we often yearn for connection to others so being alone, especially when you’ve had a hard session or you’re left questioning your clinical skills or decision making can leave you feeling all the more isolated.
Complicated Family Dynamics in Child Therapy
It’s very possible that you work with blended families, who all have different ideas about goals for their kid. Further, each caregiver may have very different parenting styles. You may struggle to navigate all this, while keeping your client’s treatment at the forefront of the work you’re doing with them.
Navigating High-Conflict Legal and Ethical Situations →
Maybe you’re new to private practice and you’ve only been independently licensed for a short time. You’ve just received a voicemail from a client’s parent who’s involved in a high conflict custody case and they want you to write a letter for their attorney to bring to court next week. You feel scared and unsure about the next step.
Managing Your Potential Emotional Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
You give all of yourself to the kids and families you work with and this can take a toll on you. You’re left holding the stress of each family you work with. Then they question if their kid is actually making progress and you feel unsure about your clinical decision making.
Systemic and Logistical Barriers Child Therapists Face Everyday
As a child and adolescent therapist you may find yourself navigating numerous systems in any given week; from insurance companies to child welfare agencies to the school system. You may feel frustrated and even bullied by these systems when all you are doing is working so hard to advocate for your client and their family.
Maybe you are experiencing a lot of no-shows on your caseload and struggling with the boundaries around charging your clients for your time, or maybe you’ve realised you need a new way to confirm weekly appointments.
How Clinical Consultation Helps Child and Family Therapists Thrive
Clinical consultation with an experienced supervisor can help you with all of the above challenges, which will show up at some point in your work. Further, consultation can create a support system to reduce some of the isolation you may be feeling right now. You’ll have a space for collaborative problem-solving while also receiving expert feedback on challenging cases. It can also create opportunities for ongoing learning and professional development.
You can anticipate having improved case conceptualization while exploring new clinical interventions and be able to determine how well those interventions are working for both you and your clients. Most of all you’ll gain confidence in yourself as a clinician.
Even after 15 years as a social worker, with close to 10 years as a LCSW, I still seek out my own consultation regularly as I too experience all of the challenges mentioned above. I often yearn for the connection and feedback that is so central to my clinical practice.
How We Can Help
Whether you are a newly licensed practitioner or you’ve been in the field for years, consultation can help meet your own needs as a human and clinician working with tough stuff everyday while also deepening the work you do with the kids, adolescents and families you work with.
If you’re looking for expert clinical consultation from experienced clinical supervisors, Firelight Supervision offers both individual consultation and group consultation options. Join our Clinical Consultation Community so you don’t feel like you’re practicing in isolation anymore!
Author Bio
Leah Band is a licensed clinical social worker, clinical supervisor, and blogger with Firelight Supervision. Leah supports provisionally licensed and experienced clinicians in building the confidence and sustainability they need to work with clients across the lifespan from children and families to adolescents and adults. She specializes in play therapy, family systems, school-based mental health, and supervision rooted in trust and genuine human connection. Follow Firelight Supervision on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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