August 19, 2006
Mental Health
Question from Central Islip, New York, USA:
My son has had type 1 diabetes since November 2005. It’s been very hard for him to cope with diabetes. I spoke to the doctor about a counselor, but they have no openings. My son needs a lot of help. Please let me know of a good counselor where I live. I’ve made a lot of phone calls, but no one seems to have any openings.
Answer:
The best way to find a good counselor is to do the following: call your insurance and ask them to mail you a list of the approved providers in your area and call your child’s pediatrician and ask them to make recommendations regarding good therapists in your area. Finally, ask your child’s diabetes team staff for recommendations. Between those three sources, you should be able to find someone. It is not unusual for programs to have an eight to 12 week waiting list, so be sure to place your son’s name on the list of the programs in which you are most interested.
JWB
