Seeking a Therapist

Q: Dear Mrs. Bottstein, My son was recently evaluated in school and found to have some emotional problems. He is getting counseling in school, but it was also recommended that I seek a therapist outside of school to deal with family issues. I was given a list of referrals and I noticed that some were psychologists and some were social workers. How do I decide? Seeking a therapist A: Dear seeking a therapist: I appreciate you taking the time to write. Both licensed psychologists and licensed social workers are trained therapists. Psychologists have training in, and can administer psychological evaluations, however, it sounds as if this was completed in your son’s school. Therefore, you must look for a good “match” for your child-someone whom your son and you feel comfortable with. You should check out credentials- making sure that the therapist is licensed and experienced with children and/or teenagers (you didn’t mention how old your son is). You should also find out if the therapist is comfortable with actual family counseling- meeting with you and your son on occasion (and any other family members as deemed necessary). As the recommendation for counseling in your son’s case is to “deal with family issues” it would make sense to me that the therapist would eventually, if not right away, bring you into the sessions as well. The therapist should also be willing to communicate with your school’s psychologist or counselor, to coordinate any treatment plans that may be necessary, or simply to get a full picture of what’s happening in school as well as out of school. Finally, but certainly not least, you and your son should feel comfortable with the therapist. Sometimes it takes a few sessions to determine whether or not you want to continue with the therapist. Do not be afraid, however, to make another appointment, with another therapist, if things are not as comfortable with you as you feel they should be, or if things just don’t seem to be progressing. Thank you for reading, Carol Bottstein

Future School Psychologists

Q: Dear Mrs. Bottstein I am a senior in high school and am thinking of pursuing a career in school psychology. I have not applied to college yet, but would like to know what the college requirements are to be a school psychologist. A: Dear future school psychologist, Thank you for your question. New York State requires school psychologists to be certified in the area of school psychology. This means that you must complete the graduate degree requirements from an accredited master’s program in school psychology (which includes coursework and internship). Since you have not yet applied to college, you need to ask yourself some questions: will you be attending school in or out of NY?; do you plan to live and work in or out of NY? Different states have different requirements. Therefore, it would be helpful if you can answer those questions. If you know the answers, the best thing to do is to research the specific requirements of the particular state you are interested in. It is not too early to check out the requirements of a graduate program, to ensure that you take the necessary undergraduate courses. You can not practice school psychology in New York without a master’s degree and state certification. Even if you are not sure as to where you will be living and working, as an undergraduate student it is wise to major in psychology and take education courses as electives. Again, I highly recommend that you research any graduate programs you may be interested in so that you are properly prepared, and when you do apply to an undergraduate college, speak to an admissions officer and tell him/her your future plans. This is another way to make sure you are properly prepared when the time comes to apply to graduate programs. Good Luck and keep in touch. Thank you, ~ Carol Bottstein

Dear Mrs. Bottstein,

My daughter is very active in school activities, especially sports. She has won awards from her school and I think she may have a chance at a scholarship in girls basketball when she is older. She is currently in ninth grade and has been having a lot of discipline problems, including some out of school suspensions. The school has recommended an alternate placement for her (a BOCES school) which my husband and I are in agreement with. My husband and I are very concerned, however, because the school she will be attending does not have after school competition sports at all.
Concerned Parent



A: Dear Concerned Parent,

I appreciate you taking the time to write. You and your husband have valid concerns, which I will be happy to address. First of all, it is good that you both are in agreement and seem comfortable with the alternate placement for your daughter. As an aside, it is important for you to know that students in alternate placements such as BOCES are constantly re-evaluated for consideration for return to their home districts. The best interest of the child is first, and emphasis is on placing the child in the least restrictive environment needed to address their specific needs.

In regard to sports, your daughter should be eligible to continue her sports career at her district school. She still “belongs” to your school district and is eligible to try out for and compete in any sports and/or clubs your district offers, provided she meets their eligibility requirements. You should contact your daughter’s guidance counselor as well as the basketball coach and special education liaison to find out the necessary steps to take to ensure that the transition is made when your daughter changes schools (you did not mention if she was recommended going to BOCES this school year or next). This transition includes the necessary transportation needs. In my experience with students attending alternate placements but who compete on their districts sports teams, transportation is arranged so the bus picks the student up at the alternate setting( in your case, the BOCES placement) and brings them to the district school. Please feel free to keep in touch and let me know how things work out.

Thank you,