It’s frustrating to need a therapist for your child when it seems like there are no appointments available. Olympia Therapy reports that phone calls for services normally go up when school begins. This year the deluge began even before the first bell sounded. “The wait list and wait time went through the roof. It’s longer than previous years,” says Cary Hamilton. She recommends considering an appointment with one of the interns.
Mental Health Service Options at Olympia Therapy
Parents often believe that, “My child needs to see the best, someone with 20 years of experience.” This is a reasonable thought, but if it takes nine months to see that person, an entire school year will have passed, and your child will have received no extra help.
“Making an appointment with an intern is an amazing option,” says Cary. “They care deeply. They are passionate. They are schooled with recent knowledge, current practices, and have a high desire to adhere to strict ethics and standards.” Additionally, each intern has two, three or four supervisors working alongside, so you’ll get all their knowledge, too. Olympia Therapy has five interns working this fall.
Parents are concerned about extra expenses and the ability to use their insurance. Seeing an intern is not covered by insurance. However, at Olympia Therapy, the intern rate is $50/hour, which is close to the co-pay amount. That makes the financial outlay similar, regardless of which therapist one sees.
Our society puts a high value on sports, often over the value of mental health. People seem more willing to spend money on sports than mental health services. While both have important roles, untreated mental issues can create a lifetime foundation of difficult complications. “It is Important for parents to understand, if your kid is suffering, their capacity to learn is not possible,” says Cary. Too many of our students in our own community are having a hard time with survival. There is no bandwidth to learn and thrive.
Group Therapy Sessions for Youth in Thurston County
Fall is a busy time with adjusting to being back at school and looming holidays. With such a great need for students to get services, Olympia Therapy plans to launch peer groups sessions. These are not covered by insurance (typically) but these types of groups frequently create a powerful dynamic and are quite beneficial. “They listen to their peers,” says Cary. There will be both online and in-person groups.
Does your Child Need Mental Health Help?
When your child refuses to go to school, becomes aggressive at home and is noticeably hindered by anxiety, these are signs that help is needed. September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Data from the 2023 Healthy Youth Survey shows 17% of children in eighth, 10th and 12th grades have considered suicide. Twelve percent reported making a plan and 10% attempted to end their life. These are calls for help. Are you listening?
Children and Adults are Sleep Deprived
Sleep debt is compounding the problems with our health and mental well-being. “Sleep debt is creating 50% of mental health issues,” asserts Cary. “Fixing that alone would be better for everyone.” Your students need approximately nine hours each night. Schools have made some adjustment for the natural rhythms of age groups with varied start times, and parents need to do their part, too. “Parents need to set bedtimes, valuing sleep as a family,” advises Cary.
Technology goes off at 8:30 p.m. at Cary’s home. It’s time for the evening rituals of getting ready for the next day, gathering materials and brushing teeth. Without the interruptions of phones and other screens, it creates time to chat with your children. “The best conversations happen when tech is turned off,” she adds.
We all have full schedules that leave little to no time for winding down and relaxing. With unending access to technology in their bedrooms, it makes it hard for your children – and you! – to disconnect. Cary also suggests keeping bedtimes the same on weekends. A body can catch up on a small sleep debt, but full nights of sleep each night provide the highest benefits.
Restricted Cell Phone Use During School Hours
School policies for the use of cell phones during the school day are changing to become more restrictive. The evidence is mounting that phone use raises anxiety and reduces attention to learning. You can expect there will be resistance by both students and even their parents. Olympia Therapy sees the damage constant phone use causes, encourages parents to examine their own use and to provide boundaries for their children. Cary believes that within a month of such reduced phone usage “We will see healthier kids. Yes, there will be a blip of defiance, all the behaviors we hate the most,” cautions Cary, but “Hold tight,” she encourages.
Olympia Therapy Mental Health Services
Skilled and well-supervised interns are available to help your child. Passing time without getting help is damaging to everyone. Check out more information at the Olympia Therapy website.
It’s fine to limit technology for your kids (and yourself). You might be surprised that in time
the anxiety of all family members will decrease. Plenty of sleep is also great for the whole family. It’s never too late to change the boundaries about bedtimes or technology access within your family. Being a parent is a challenging job. Even the Surgeon General says that parenting can be harmful to your mental health. Olympia Therapy understands.
Olympia Therapy
1534 Bishop Road SW, Tumwater
360.357.2370
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