Should I See a GP or Psychologist for My 4-Year-Old's Behavior in Belgium?

Hello, thanks for your question. The assessment process needs to be done by a psychologist and depending of the results, by a neuropediatrician or child psychiatrist. Until I know the insurances don't cover assessment but therapy, but I recommend you to consult directly with your insurance company, you might need a medical referral from his pediatrician. To find English speaking professionals, I suggest Kwan Bruhl or Jonathan Shin, both psychologists and excellent evaluators. I'm sorry for this late reply, but for some reason I don't receive notifications when I receive questions, so if you have more questions please reach me by e...mail: [email protected]. Read more

1. First Steps: Whom to Contact

In Belgium, there are two main routes to get psychological help for children:

Via your General Practitioner (GP / “médecin généraliste” / “huisarts”)

Your GP is often the first point of contact.

They can listen to your concerns, give a first opinion, and refer you to a child psychologist, child psychiatrist, or specialized center.

This referral may be important if you want costs (partially) reimbursed through your mutualité/mutualiteit (health insurance fund).

Directly to a (child) psychologist or specialized center

In Belgium, i...t is possible to book directly with a licensed child psychologist (“psychologue pour enfants” / “kinderpsycholoog”).

However, reimbursement rules vary depending on your insurance and whether the psychologist is part of the official federal reimbursement program (conventioned psychologist).

2. Reimbursement & Insurance Coverage

Since 2019–2022, Belgium has been gradually expanding reimbursement for psychological care through the Public Health Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV system).

Children under 18 years old are eligible for partially reimbursed sessions with psychologists who are recognized and conventioned.

Typically, you pay around 11–22 EUR per session (instead of the full 60–70 EUR).

Sessions must be with a psychologist who collaborates with a recognized network (“réseau de santé mentale” / “netwerk geestelijke gezondheidszorg”).

Private insurance (“hospitalisation” or additional insurance) sometimes covers more, but this depends on your policy.

3. The Assessment Process for a Child (Age 4–5)

A child psychological assessment in Belgium usually involves:

Intake session with parents – to gather history, development, and recent concerns.

Observation & play-based sessions with the child – to evaluate emotional regulation, social skills, and behavior.

Collaboration with the school – teachers often provide structured input.

Feedback session with parents – the psychologist shares results and proposes an intervention plan.

This may include parent guidance, individual therapy/play therapy for the child, or referral to speech therapy/occupational therapy if needed.

4. Practical Path for You

Step 1: Register with a local GP in Belgium (if you haven’t already).

Step 2: Discuss your son’s difficulties; ask for a referral to a child psychologist under the INAMI/RIZIV program.

Step 3: Contact your mutualité/mutualiteit (CM, Partena, Helan, etc.) to confirm coverage and lists of conventioned psychologists.

Step 4: The child psychologist will guide you on whether additional assessments (e.g., developmental, speech-language, occupational therapy) are needed.

👉 In summary:
It is best to start with your GP, since this creates a medical pathway that both clarifies reimbursement and ensures you are referred to recognized specialists. From there, you can see a child psychologist for assessment. Read more

Give him time. How is he today? You can contact a specialist in development and emotions, but with children, sometimes the best is at the beginning of the practice of art therapy

You can go directly to a recognized (conventioned) child psychologist without needing a referral from a general practitioner, especially if the psychologist is part of Belgium’s public mental health network.
These sessions are partially reimbursed by public health insurance (mutuelle), usually for a limited number of sessions per year (10-20).
However, if you’re using private health insurance, they might require a referral or diagnosis from a GP or pediatrician. So it’s best to check directly with your insurance provider.