I am an elementary school counselor, and recently a nine year old fourth grade student has been referred to me for counseling because she is experiencing anger over diabetes diagnosis a year ago. What are some of the emotional concerns related to her illness that I may need to address with her in our individual sessions?

The best resource to help you understand the possible emotional issues facing a child with diabetes is Practical Psychology for Diabetes Clinicians: How to Deal With the Key Behavioral Issues Faced by Patients and Health-Care Teams by Barbara Anderson and Richard Rubin.

JWB

[Editor’s comment: If you do not have experience in counselling a child with diabetes, I think it would be more appropriate for you to tell this to the child’s parents and school officials. The emotional issues for a child this age are very complex and should really be addressed by an experienced professional. Perhaps you can ask this child’s diabetes team or your local American Diabetes Association for the name of such an individual. You might also request to sit in on the sessions so that you can gain experience for future referrals.

SS]