It has become popular to focus solely on symptoms in the treatment of children, but to do so can limit the effectiveness of the intervention and may lead to failure. This in-depth article explains the interactional nature of the mind, body and spirit of children and how interventions that target multiple aspects of the child have the best chance to success in the long run. While short-term approaches may help some children in the short run, integrated interventions that address the whole child have the best chance to be the most cost effective and successful in the long run. (10 pages)