Competencies Needed By Mental Health Professionals Working With Parents of Children With Asthma

This paper describes clinical competencies necessary for mental health professionals working with parents of children with Asthma. Seven highly accomplished mental health clinicians from the Pediatric Behavioral Health Department at the nationally ranked hospital, National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado were interviewed about the competencies they feel are needed to work with this specific population. The results of these interviews are organized into knowledge, skills and attitudes. Recommendations for other mental health providers are provided.

Once Upon a Time in Therapy: Crafting Therapeutic Narratives to Help Familiarize Children with the Therapeutic Process.

Young children often harbor misconceptions about psychotherapy and the role of psychologists. These misconceptions are ignited by rumors and misinformation that are provided to the child by a variety of sources and can compromise both the effectiveness of therapy and the therapeutic dyad. In this paper we explore how recent trends in patient engagement in child psychotherapy, cultural dynamics between patients and practitioners, and children's lack of knowledge surrounding mental health services can negatively impact therapy. Wednesday Afternoons with Dr. J. (WADJ) is a whimsical fictional therapeutic narrative created to inform children about aspects of the therapeutic process while providing adults with tangible structure surrounding how to talk to children about mental healthcare. The advantages of utilizing this narrative to prime children for therapy are discussed, as are methods for promoting the narrative to the greater community.