How to Explain Therapy to Your Child
- Caitlin McNally, LCSW
- Sep 28
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 10
Welcome! I’m so glad you’ve found your way here. I’m Caitlin McNally, LCSW, a child, teen, and young adult therapist in Westchester, NY. Over the past 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of working with children and families in many different settings, from hospitals to clinics to private practice. One question I hear constantly from parents is: “How do I explain therapy to my child?” It felt like the perfect topic for my first blog post. In this post, I’ll share practical strategies to talk about therapy in a supportive, age-appropriate way that helps your child feel understood and confident.
When Your Child Asks: What's Therapy
“How do I explain therapy to my child without making them feel like something is wrong with them?”
IThis is a question I hear from parents frequently, and it’s an important one. Adults often bring their own experiences or assumptions to therapy, but for children, the idea of seeing a therapist is usually entirely new. While your child may know you’re concerned about them, you don't want them to feel like they are the problem.
With thoughtful explanations and examples they can relate to, you can introduce the idea of therapy in a way that feels safe, supportive, and reassuring.
Start with What They Already Know
Do they know someone who’s been to therapy?
Many kids already know a friend, cousin, or even a parent who’s worked with a therapist. Sometimes they’ve overheard that “so-and-so goes to therapy” but aren’t sure what it means. Ask your child if they’ve heard about therapy before, and invite them to share what they think it is.
Examples you might use:
“Your cousin met with a therapist to help with paying attention in school.”
“Your friend talks to a therapist about big feelings.”
“I’ve gone to therapy myself to have a safe space to talk about emotions.”
This helps normalize therapy as something many people do at different times in life.
Have they ever seen a school counselor?
If your child has met with the school counselor—or even just knows that one exists—that’s a great bridge. You can say:
“A therapist is a little like a school counselor. They’re someone you can talk to who helps with feelings, problems, and finding new ways to cope.”
Kids are already familiar with school, so using this example makes therapy feel less mysterious and more approachable.
Who are the “helpers” they already trust?
If your child isn’t sure what a counselor does, think about other helpers they know: a teacher, a coach, or their pediatrician.
One analogy I often suggest is comparing therapy to going to the doctor for checkups.
“You see your doctor to make sure your body is healthy. You also go if you don’t feel well so you can feel better. Therapy is like that, but for your thoughts and feelings.”
Just a note of caution: if your child is nervous about doctor visits, remind them that there are no shots in therapy!
Things to Let Your Child Know About Therapy
“Your therapist wants to get to know you.” We might talk, draw, build with Legos, or play games—there are lots of ways to connect.
“You don’t have to answer every question.” If something feels uncomfortable, it’s okay to say so.
“Therapy is private.” What’s shared in therapy usually stays there. The only time a therapist must share is if someone is in danger.
“You won’t get in trouble here.” Kids often feel pressure to behave or say the “right” thing. In therapy, they can express all kinds of feelings—anger, sadness, silliness— without worrying about upsetting the therapist.
“It might be hard sometimes, and it might be fun, too.” Both can be true. Therapy is a safe space for the ups and downs.
Final Thoughts
Explaining therapy to your child is less about finding the perfect words and more about meeting them where they are.
Connect therapy to people, places, or helpers they already know, and remind them that therapy is a space designed to support them—not to make them feel like the problem.
If you’re a parent looking for child therapy or teen counseling in Westchester, NY, know that you don’t have to figure this out alone. I offer a free 20-minute consultation call to help you explore next steps, answer your questions, and see if therapy might be a good fit for your child.
This is the very first post on my blog, and my hope is that it becomes a resource for parents who want guidance, encouragement, and clarity as they support their children. I’ll be sharing more reflections, tips, and tools here in the weeks ahead—so stay tuned.
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