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Do you work with kids in your private practice? How should you navigate informed consent if your clients are typically younger than 18? What are the best practices to keep in mind when you are working with kids and their family systems?
In this podcast episode, Andrew Burdette speaks about kids and family considerations with Jill Williams.
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Meet Jill Williams
Jill Williams, LCSW owns Mental Health Masterminds, an online education and consultation business designed to support clinicians in feeling competent and confident with their day-to-day work. whether they are fresh out of grad school or delightfully seasoned pros. Jill also owns Flourish Counseling and Wellness, a group practice offering treatment to children and adults in Asheville, NC. Her primary goal at Flourish is to provide the sustainable, long-term employment that she wishes was available when she became a therapist 15 years ago.
Visit Mental Health Masterminds and Flourish Counseling and Wellness.
In This Podcast
- Jill’s practice group identity
- Integrating kids and family systems into practices
- Jill’s main tips for working with kids
Jill’s practice group identity
In Jill’s private practice, they work with kids as young as two years old up to adults of any age. In terms of specialty, they work with people who struggle with anxiety disorders, PTSD, single-incident traumas, as well as autism and folks under the big umbrella of neurodivergence.
We also work with a lot of folks who have physical disabilities or chronic medical conditions. One of my areas of expertise is working with parents with children with supportive needs, whether those are physical disabilities, neurodivergence, or behavior or mental health issues. (Jill Williams)
Additionally, Jill’s practice is also deeply LGTBQ+ affirming.
Integrating kids and family systems into practices
There are definitely some very different things with working with children and adults, and some of the things I think about [include] prepping your practice. What are your consents going to look like? How are you wording things in your paperwork? What are the expectations for parents to be involved versus giving their kids more privacy when they’re older? (Jill Williams)
Whether you are working with predominantly kids, or kids and family systems, it is necessary to tailor your practice to suit the needs of these clients.
Especially concerning children, for example, your consent forms will look different than those of regular private practices. Jill advises therefore that you think about:
- Consent forms
- Developmental stages of the children that you’re going to be working with and communicating to the parents what their level of involvement needs to be as the child grows up
- The therapeutic relationship with the parents while stretching some of their understanding of their children
Speak to your attorney, especially when it comes to structuring your consent forms for children and adolescents, since the law can change from state to state.
Jill’s main tips for working with kids
- Think ahead of time about how you are going to engage with parents around working with children
You can have every training under the sun, but the reality is [that] at the end of the day, you see these kiddos one hour a week, one hour every other week, and then they go home back into their same family system, and the more that you can develop trust, rapport, and [a] with the parents to help to be that bridge, and help parents understand their child’s experience … That is my biggest, most important thing. (Jill Williams)
You as the therapist can make a huge difference, both in the lives of the children and in the lives of their parents, by bridging their understanding of one another – and that comes in by working with both of them, the kids and their parents.
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Visit Mental Health Masterminds and Flourish Counseling and Wellness.
- Trust me, don’t waste any more of your time, and try TherapyNotes.
Check out these additional resources:
- Offering Intensives with Stacey Curnow | GP 245
- Practice of the Practice Network
- Group Practice Launch
- Group Practice Boss: www.practiceofthepractice.com/grouppracticeboss $149 a month
- PoP Group Practice Owners Facebook Group
- Free resources to help you start, grow, and scale
- Work with us
- Practice of the Practice Network
Meet Andrew Burdette
Andrew founded Mindful Counseling PLLC in Asheville, NC shortly after completing his graduate program in clinical mental health counseling. At the start of the pandemic, he pivoted to an online solo practice, and in 2022, began to grow a group practice. He most enjoys helping clients and colleagues identify what ignites their passions and assisting them in creating a life rooted in authenticity. Andrew approaches his business development with alignment in mind and enjoys the integration process connecting the many puzzle pieces and systems required to run a successful practice.
Visit Andrew’s website and Apply to work with him.
Email him at [email protected]
