Parent guidance, therapy, ABA, or school support — which do we actually need?
Most parents are handed one option by whoever they happened to call first. Here is the honest version, including the situations where what I offer is the wrong choice.
| Option | Who it works with | Best when | Paid by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent guidance what I offer |
The parents, mainly | The same hard moments keep repeating and you want to understand the pattern and change how you respond | Private pay |
| Child therapy psychologist, LMHC, LCSW |
The child, directly | The child is anxious, low, grieving, traumatised, or needs their own confidential space | Often insurance |
| ABA therapy BCBA-supervised, RBT-delivered |
The child, on a written treatment plan | There is a qualifying diagnosis and goals needing structured, measured teaching over time | Often insurance, with authorisation |
| School support 504 plan or IEP |
The child, at school | The difficulty is mostly academic or shows up mainly in the classroom | Free — it is a right |
| Paediatrician or a qualified assessor |
The child, medically | You need a diagnosis, a medication conversation, or a referral | Usually insurance |
These are not competing options
Most families I work with use two or three at once. A child can have a 504 plan at school, see a therapist for anxiety, and have parents working with me on the evening routine. They address different things.
When parent guidance is the right fit
- The same moments keep repeating — mornings, homework, bedtime, transitions, sibling conflict
- You have read the books and the advice does not survive contact with your actual family
- There is no diagnosis and you are not sure there needs to be one
- You want to change how you respond, not send your child somewhere to be fixed
- You want to start this month rather than join a waiting list
When it is the wrong choice — and I will tell you so
- Your child needs their own person. A grieving, anxious or traumatised child needs a therapist, not a better parenting plan.
- You need a diagnosis. I do not diagnose. That is your paediatrician or a qualified assessor, and it should come first.
- There is a safety concern. Self-harm, real danger to others, or suspected abuse needs the appropriate professional immediately — see the disclaimer for numbers.
- The problem lives at school and the school has offered nothing. Start by asking the school in writing. That support is free and it is your child's right — here is how to ask.
- Your child has a treatment plan and needs ABA hours. That is a different service with its own authorisation — see RBT services.
An honest note about cost
Parent guidance is private pay. It is not billed to insurance, because it is not a diagnosis or a treatment. Some families choose it precisely for that reason — no diagnosis on file, no authorisation, no waiting list. Others are better served by an insurance-covered route, and if that is you, I would rather say so at the discovery call than take your money.
Still not sure?
That is the most common answer, and it is a reasonable place to start from. Tell me what is happening and I will tell you honestly which door I think you need — even when it is not mine.
Let's work out which one you need.
A short discovery call, no obligation, in English or Hebrew.