The first meeting in psychotherapeutic and psychosocial work, has a big impact on the continuation. It is a less explored research field. Children's ''voices'' tend to come in the back-ground in family therapy and other settings. In a project at CAP (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) the children's views were collected in interviews with parents and therapists present. The grounded theory analysis process was used. The children addressed the importance of the therapist's actions and positions in helping them to be able to communicate and to be in a dialogue. To be accepted and allowed to express feelings was important, and so was how the therapist managed to adjust to each person in the room and give space for various perspectives.

Parents who came with their child to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) for the first time were interviewed 1-2 weeks afterwards in the presence of the child and the therapists. In a grounded theory analysis they revealed uncertainty about their role in the first meeting as well as of future planning. What had been important to them were aspects like communication, sharing perspectives, and the reformulation of problems.

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