Then there are the psychiatric social workers, who have done a masters or doctoral degree in medical and psychiatric social work. And the trained counsellors who have a diploma in counselling after undergoing specialized training in a recognized training centre. Yes, it is best that you ask the name of the training centre and do your search, internet included, to check if it is, indeed, recognized and by whom.

To individually customise what would best suit you from the national scenario as differentiated above, feel no qualm in following this rule—look first. Look to see if the person is a trained professional. Then look to see if the person’s qualifications are from a recognized training facility—medical college, post-graduate medical training facility, university, school of social work or counselling training centre. If someone qualified says s/he further specializes in child-care, simply ask what that means. How is this person more qualified or experienced than any other who holds an identical qualification to engage with your child? If you are satisfied with the answer, look carefully at the actual area in which s/he will spend so much time with your child. Is it child-friendly? Is it safe?

If all this sounds like a caveat emptor—customer beware—it’s because it is. After all, you will be paying by the hour; in large cities it will likely be by the half-hour. ‘Shrink-shopping’ will also help you feel strong about saying a flat ‘no’ to those who try and make that extra buck off you with hints and suggestions of ‘treatments’ which are as yet unproven in their efficacy.

No matter whom you choose, and this cannot be repeated enough, the only ones who can prescribe medications are the qualified psychiatrists. Where, if you or your child are being prescribed any, you can ask about the medicines, their efficacy, dosages, their after-effects and comparatives which might be lesser-known, and therefore more reasonably-priced, brands with equal potency. If the psychiatrist refuses to answer your polite questions, feel free to change the doctor. If you are being prescribed ‘medz’, ask about any food-restrictions and start on whichever form of exercise suits you best after checking with the doctor. One of the side-effects of some medz is massive weight-gain which can increase negative feelings. Exercise, as is well-known, kicks in feel-good hormones, apart from keeping weight in check; so it’s a win-win.

You are at a psychiatrist, therapist, counsellor because you have suffered Child Sexual Abuse. This has created deep-seated psychological trauma or it has overwhelmed you or it’s a worrisome issue which has become a bottle-neck in your internal life which may, or may not, be creating additional areas of concern in your relationships or professional life. The person’s responsibility is to help you understand what’s happening in the unconscious part of your mind. With the insights that this person helps you obtain, you can make best-considered choices about yourself. For example, if you are a male and feel you have become homosexual because a man sexually abused you, it’s not for the person to finalize this feeling. Or, as is frequent in the case of girl and women victims, if you have been advised by society to negate by forgiving and forgetting, it’s not for that person to rush you into it. Ergo, this person has to be an interpreter of how your mind works. So please do not set up this person as whatever role-model you may have lacked in your life. Or you will wind up doing what other victims have done simply because someone decent whom they could look up to finally came along—they fall down when that person is out of their lives.