As the information age is in full boar, the new issue arising for all of us is too many choices. While having choices can be perceived as beneficial, too many choices often results in a person feeling overwhelmed. Research shows that as a result, people tend to make an impulsive decision or remain indecisive.  In the book “The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less”, Barry Schwartz, PhD, reports “There’s a point where all choice starts to be not only unproductive, but counterproductive - - a source of pain, regret, worry about missed opportunities and unrealistically high expectations.” 

 

Some choices may be of minor consequence, such as jam flavor or the color of your placemats. However, what is a person to do with significant choices in service based industries? In the past, people were restricted to their own community to receive services for accounting, advertising, or counseling. With the advent of the internet, more professionals seek a broader base of clients using the internet as a marketing tool. 

 

As a result, highly personal needs such as counseling services and the consulting industry have seen a large increase in referrals when marketing via the internet. However, with any increase in exposure and advertising comes increased competition. For example, a person searching for counseling for marital problems on the internet can find over 3 million matches on the internet! 

 

While this article is not intended to help remedy the barrage of choices that occur daily to the average person, it is intended to help you make decisions for consulting or counseling services as it applies to parents. Here are a few tips to help you narrow down your choices as you search for expert parenting help:

 1. “Seek and you will find….”. Sometimes you need to learn more about what is causing your concern before you spend the time on a referral. Is my child truly depressed? Does he have ADHD? Be wary of conducting your own research. 

 

There are so many articles on the internet, that it can not only overwhelm a parent, it can also pathologize your child when it’s not necessary. While there are some credible websites out there such as WebMD and UCDavis MIND Institute, it is often difficult to separate fact from opinion, and advertising versus recommendations. 

 

2.  When you are first considering getting parenting help, be as specific as you possibly can. Are you concerned about your child’s behavior in a particular environment? Or is it more global in nature? Some sites such as Parent Help Live do have phone consultations with trained professionals to help you decide if your concerns are better served by working with a professional or if you should utilize a counselor in your community to work with your child.  

 

3.  You may have concerns stemming from a school referral or observe differences in your child’s development compared with same aged peers. If there are real concerns about a physiological condition, such as Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Autism spectrum disorders), ADHD, Bipolar, etc. and you are considering medication, diagnosis or need a label for insurance purposes, please seek out your pediatrician first.

 

4. If you child has suffered through a trauma or a major change has occurred, seek out a counselor or psychologist to work with your child in an office setting. Interview potential counselors from a list provided by your insurance provider. Insure the service provider has years of experience and has training specific to children. Be very discerning in this approach before you introduce your child to the professional. 

 

 

Be aware that there are no base requirements for a person to call themselves an “expert”, “coach” or “professional” – they are purely descriptive terms. Look at the level of training, degrees, years of experience, and/or fields of expertise.  

You may be better served with individuals that have thousands of documented hours of supervised time in a clinical setting or in a school setting (such as a Marriage and Family Therapist, Educational Psychologist, or Clinical Psychologist). These individuals gain significant insight out in the field and are required to maintain professional growth hours every year to improve their skills.