No, not initially, and this is important. The child will need to feel that they are in a secure, private space. They need to learn to open up to their child therapist.
Believe it or not, there are going to be things inside their little minds that they don’t want you to know about. It may be that they have been conditioned to believe you will react in a certain way if you hear them say a certain truth, and thus they’ll want to avoid that reaction. Don’t feel guilty – most kids can sense a need for some privacy from their parents.
It may also be that if you are in the room, they will behave differently than if you are not in the room. It may bring to light some unexplained behaviours, such as things happening at school, or in other environments when you are not around.
However – and this is a big ‘but’ in the process – Sometimes, the progress of your child will need other family members to attend therapy sessions. This is when we can explore filial play therapy or Family therapy. I will be sure to let you know when I feel it is time for these later steps in therapy treatment.