Therapy for Teens
Has Your Teen Become Withdrawn And Won’t Talk To You?
Does your teen seem troubled but they’re unwilling to share what’s going on with you? Have they become isolated from friends and lost interest in their favorite activities? Are they engaging in self-harming or risky behavior making you concerned about their physical and emotional safety?
It can be frustrating when your child stops letting you in. As you struggle to communicate constructively, it may seem like nothing you say or do is getting through to them. And if your teen has become angry or defiant, any interaction you have usually leads to an argument.
When teens display self-isolating behavior, it could be an early warning sign of anxiety or depression. Anxious thoughts may cause them to worry excessively or refuse to go to school. Anxiety and depression can also affect their sleep or lead to over—or under—eating. As a way to self-soothe, your teen may be resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as cutting or, perhaps, alcohol and drug abuse.
On The Other Hand, You May Be A Teen Who Feels Misunderstood By Your Parents…
If you’re a teen, perhaps you struggle to get your parents to respect your boundaries. It might seem like they don’t understand you or that you have become the scapegoat for the problems they are having.
Perhaps school has been challenging due to being bullied or socially isolating from your classmates. If your grades have dipped as a result, your parents and teachers may accuse you of not putting forth a good effort but fail to understand the reasons why you’re struggling.
Fortunately, therapy tailored for teens can help address the challenges you’re facing. By receiving compassionate support to deal with big emotions and learning techniques that foster healthy coping skills, you can face the future with confidence.
Adolescence Can Be An Emotionally Volatile Time
According to a study conducted by Mental Health America (MHA), “13.84 percent of adolescents ages 12-17 coped with at least one diagnosable major depressive episode in 2021, up from 13.01 percent the previous year.”¹ Further, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “73.8 percent of teens with depression also struggle with anxiety.” ²
The adolescent years are already a volatile period—hormonal shifts often cause teenagers to have unpredictable emotional reactions. When additional stressors surface, they can tip kids over the edge. To take it one step further, teens who are emotionally troubled by earlier life experiences of neglect or abuse may struggle more in adolescence if they haven’t properly processed their trauma.
Teens Are Under More Stress Than Ever Before
Sadly, these days it seems teens are subjected to more pressure than ever before. The stress of Covid-19, social media, and, frankly, parents who expect academic excellence and high achievement, can push them to their emotional limits.
Although as parents we want the best for our kids, sometimes we don’t realize how we might be affecting them. Lately, our culture seems to favor the “helicopter” parenting style over one that fosters independence and self-sufficiency. As a result, many teens feel stuck in a double bind, expected to aspire to greatness, but all under the controlling influence of their parents.
What often prevents our teenage children from getting the help they need is the stigma we may hold about therapy or misunderstanding how much it can benefit someone their age. However, receiving therapy in the adolescent years can make a lifelong difference in the emotional health of your child. With counseling, your child can have a non-judgmental environment in which to process what they’re feeling and learn skills they will carry into adulthood.
Therapy For Teens Can Lead To Self-Discovery
If you’re a parent who feels unable to help your teenager cope with the problems they struggle with, you are not alone. Many families have been challenged during the pandemic and could use additional support. Therapy is a safe place for teens to learn healthier ways of coping as well as gain a better understanding of what they are experiencing.
For teens who are looking for help directly, I am a psychologist who will nurture a strong relationship with you, allowing you to process your thoughts and feelings without the distraction or influence of social media, family, or friends.
What To Expect In Sessions
After the initial consultation by phone, our first session will be an intake process that emphasizes rapport building and collaborative goal setting to determine how to meet your teen’s needs. We will discuss where their problems originated and, depending on the family and circumstances, may decide to include parents in the first session—or mini-sessions—along the way. As a parent, your involvement will usually consist of helping reinforce the skills your teen is learning throughout therapy.
When working with teens, I focus heavily on the therapeutic relationship, realizing the importance of their buy-in. For therapy to be effective, they need to have a say in their course of treatment. Because my teenage clients often haven’t had the opportunity to collaboratively problem-solve before, my insight-oriented approach to therapy will help them develop more concrete life skills. By encouraging independence and accountability, your child will feel empowered to figure out how to solve their own problems.
The Modalities I Use To Help Teens
Depending on the challenges they’re facing, I often use Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) when working with teens. DBT helps your child understand how thoughts and feelings are connected with behavior. By teaching emotional regulation and distress tolerance techniques, I can help your child learn tangible coping skills— such as diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, journaling, and exercise—that can replace destructive behaviors such as cutting or angry outbursts.
With CBT, I aim to bring awareness to how their negative thoughts and beliefs impact how they feel about themselves and the world around them. By helping them understand and replace “feel bad” thoughts with “feel good” thoughts, it will lead to a more positive sense of self.
Teens will also learn ways to effectively communicate with their peers, teachers, and, most importantly their caregivers, particularly in instances when they perceive you as the source of their distress. Cultivating self-expression will improve your teen’s emotional maturity, foster independence, and build their self-confidence. By working collaboratively with your teen, therapy can help them become empowered and reach their goals for the future.
But You May Wonder Whether Therapy For Teens Is Right For You…
I’m afraid no one can help my teen because they’ve experienced so much trauma.
If you are a caregiver grappling to help a child who has previously experienced trauma in their life, it can feel daunting. Although I have never walked in their shoes or presume to understand what has transpired, I am here to help. Effective counseling for adolescents requires that teens feel safe and supported by their therapist. Once they’re comfortable sharing their experience, the goal will be to help them process any unresolved trauma they may have.
How will anything change? As a teen, I have no control over my life.
I am hearing that you feel hopeless right now. I understand you might not get the chance to make independent decisions because you’re not yet an adult. However, therapy is a forum where you will have complete autonomy to talk about whatever it is that troubles you and learn effective ways to express yourself.
As a psychologist who focuses on therapy for teens, my job is to be the holder of hope and to offer encouragement and support to you through this process. Even though we can't change family dynamics and systemic issues, we will focus on what we can change, which is you.
My family is discouraging me from seeking therapy.
I understand that your parents may not be completely supportive of you being here. Perhaps they’re feeling anxious or threatened by the idea of you seeking therapy because they fear change. After all, change can be scary for everyone. But it’s completely up to you how therapy will go. We can incorporate your parents into treatment as much or as little as you want. Ultimately, it’s about you and the goals you want to achieve.
Therapy Can Help Smooth The Transition Into Adulthood
Even if your teen seems troubled and all hope seems lost, I feel confident that therapy can help them with problem-solving and learning better ways of coping with life’s challenges. To schedule a free, 15-minute consultation to learn more about therapy for teens, please contact me.
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