How to Locate a Child Psychologist

Philosophers and scientists throughout history have wrestled with the human mind. But it was Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget who first recognized that the emotional and cognitive needs of children differed greatly from adults. Since that time, the mental health community has grown increasingly sensitive to the needs of children. Modern-day pediatric psychologists work with children surrounding issues of emotional and mental development, many have specific areas of expertise such as autism or ADHD. Finding a good child psychologist requires researching his or her credentials and determining if the psychologist's personality would match well with your child.

Instructions

• 1

  Go to the American Psychological Association homepage and scroll down to the "Quick Links" box on the left side and click on the heading "Find a Psychologist."

• 2

  Check the "Terms of Agreement" box before attempting to search for a particular psychologist. Enter your ZIP code, how far you are willing to travel, area of expertise, age specialty and gender preference of the psychologist. Understand that the number of available psychologists increases if you are more flexible in your criteria.

• 3

  Select a psychologist from the results list on the next page. Some psychologists will offer a professional write-up on the search results page, while others provide a website about their practices and themselves. All search results should include the necessary contact information, including name, address and phone number.

• 4

  If you're unsure about a psychologist's experience in a particular area, call his or her office and ask. Even if your child is not an official patient yet, most psychologists are happy to speak with you about their expertise and whether they might be a good match for your child's issues.

• 5

  Meet a few psychologists without your child before you choosing one. After you've reviewed his or her credentials and areas of expertise, you want to ensure it's a good personality match between the psychologist and your child. Make sure it's someone you and your spouse could work productively with on managing your child's issues.