When I tell people that I specialize in Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, they usually ask why a baby or young child might need a therapist.

Babies and young children don’t show struggles with mental health the way that adults do. Instead, we see challenging behavior. These are signs of instability and stress in children. Someone specializing in infant and early childhood mental health provides support with parents to reduce the stress in a young child. Responding early with supportive intervention can restore healthy social-emotional functioning.

When looking for a therapist for your baby or young child, it is important to keep a few things in mind:

1. Find a specialist: look for additional training, certifications or an Endorsement in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, such as IMH-E. This will ensure that you are getting developmentally appropriate explanations for behavior and strategies.

2. Expect to be an active participant: the younger the child, the more the parents should be involved. Therapists working with young children should think of your relationship with your child as the primary source of the child’s support rather than theirs. This will usually mean that you are in the room for therapy, unless goals discussed with your therapist suggest otherwise.

3. Interview potential therapists: feeling that you can work collaboratively with your therapist is vital to the success of therapy.

Young children are very resilient and often a little investment in their social and emotional health can go a long way toward preventing larger challenges later in development. Reach out to us for a consultation if you are wondering about your young child’s social and emotional health.