After Hours Urgent Medical Attention
If it is after work hours and your child needs urgent medical attention, call us and ask for the On-Call Pediatric Endocrinologist.
Pediatric Behavioral Health
Appointments
Helping Children and Families Cope with Diabetes
Diabetes can be overwhelming. It requires you and your child to think constantly about food, activities, school schedules — and how these factors impact blood glucose levels and insulin doses. This is all on top of a child’s usual worries about making friends, fitting in, and excelling in school and sports.
Joslin Diabetes Center’s Behavioral Health Program is here to support your child and your whole family as you learn how to navigate diabetes. Our Behavioral Health team includes expert psychologists and social workers who specialize in counseling children, adolescents, adults, couples, families and other caregivers.
We work with children and teens who are newly-diagnosed or who are feeling burned out with their diabetes plan. We also meet with people who are trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle or who are struggling with family conflicts about diabetes and other life stressors.
Counseling Services
Our Behavioral Health team offers age-appropriate ways to learn about the condition and how to manage it well. In addition, we work with family members to plan and organize how diabetes is managed at home.
Emotional Health & Diabetes
When a child or teen is diagnosed with diabetes, new emotional issues can surface. Our Behavioral Health specialists can help your family manage the issues that commonly arise with a diagnosis, including:
- Adjustment to life with diabetes
- Resistance or concerns about sticking to a diabetes care plan
- Eating problems
- Burn-out
- Depression and anxiety
- School difficulties or behavioral problems
Counseling Services
We also teach family members about the demands of diabetes. And, when needed, we refer patients to local mental health providers, support groups, camps, and other resources. In our counseling sessions, we can help your child or teen:
- Ease into the adjustment of living with diabetes
- Cope with diabetes and the daily management of this condition
- Develop positive lifestyle habits
- Make sustained health changes
- Manage depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout — whether it's about family, school or peer relationships
- Handle food concerns and weight management
- Overcome fears of hypoglycemia
Find an Expert
Search for Joslin Diabetes Center doctors near you that match your care needs.
Meet the Team
