Has Your Teenager Seemed Isolated Or Frustrated Lately?
Do you feel like you don’t know what’s going on with your teen anymore? Have they been acting out in school or withdrawing from their friends? Does it seem like you’re riding a roller coaster with them because they lose control of their emotions whenever there’s a setback?
Maybe your teen has gone from telling you everything to being evasive or tight-lipped about what’s going on at school. Perhaps you’ve gotten reports from their teachers that they’ve been skipping out on class or letting their grades drop. Or maybe they’re ignoring the rules of your home by refusing to do chores or disobeying curfew.
When Your Teen Is Struggling, It Can Be Hard For Them To Reach Out
You might be worried about the high-risk behaviors you’ve noticed in your teen. Maybe they’ve been avoiding eating and getting angry when you ask about it. Perhaps they’ve become paranoid about you knowing what they’re up to. They may be trying to hide their online activity from you. Over time, you might suspect that they’re engaged in substance abuse and other risky habits.
It might be hard for your teen to reach out if they’re feeling disconnected or misunderstood. They may struggle to ask for help because they think they should know what to do. With the help of a therapist, it’s possible for your teen to embrace their true self and overcome the struggles they’re facing.
Many Teens Struggle To Feel Accepted
As adults, it’s easy to look back on our teenage years and forget how difficult they could be. The life of a teenager is confusing. Teens are stuck in the middle of childhood and becoming an adult. They’re trying to figure out how to be true to themselves without disappointing those important to them.
In the middle of this push and pull, many teens feel pressured to try and be everything to everyone. They might have one thing in mind, but their parents, teachers, coaches or friends may want something else from them. This can lead to frustration and confusion about who they are and what they want in life. Because everyone expects them to live a certain way and be a certain person, teens may feel like no one accepts them for who they are.
Too Much Pressure Can Cause Anxiety And Depression In Teens
As teens feel pressured by everyone around them to figure it all out on their own, their mental health symptoms often get worse. Many don’t know how to regulate their emotions, so any strong feeling can come out as irritability or anger. Over time, these struggles and frustrations can lead to issues like depression or anxiety.
Your teen doesn’t have to just survive this phase of life. They can walk through it with happiness and peace of mind. Therapy can help your teen get in touch with their feelings and give them strategies for their own personal growth.
Counseling Can Help Your Teen Process Their Emotions And Thrive In The Years To Come
The teenage years are a unique time in life, and as a counselor, I want to show your teen how to process this topsy-turvy part of their journey. I want them to discover what amazing strengths they have and learn what habits to let go of as they move forward.
In counseling, your teen will learn how to break down stressful situations. They can unload their thoughts without fear of rejection or retaliation. Together, we will walk through their challenges so that they can digest them instead of pushing them down and building brick walls around themselves.
Over time, your teen will see that they aren’t alone and that someone else understands their feelings. They will learn to open up, make their feelings heard, and find out what brings them joy and fulfillment in life.
What Your Teen Can Expect In Counseling Sessions
If your teen is under 17, we will have an interview with you before we schedule counseling sessions for them. If they’re over 17, they will go through the regular intake process we use for all of our adult clients.
My goal during sessions is to make sure your teen feels like they’re being seen for the unique person they are. I like to start the healing process by listening and letting them lead the sessions. Having your teen be in control allows them to feel more comfortable opening up about their struggles.
As we get further into therapy, I will help them understand what they’re going through and ask questions like “Did that situation make you sad?” or “How do you think this will affect your future?” This will help your teen process emotions from the past, understand why they made certain choices, and learn how they can do things differently in the future.
With Counseling Strategies Designed For Them, Your Teen Can Find Relief From Their Frustration
The combination of strategies I use in counseling can help teens learn how to identify the core issues of problems and work outward to create the best solutions for them. The methods I utilize in sessions include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Sand Tray Therapy, and Positivity Therapy.
CBT can help teens break out of negative thought patterns and question the messages they tell themselves. With Sand Tray Therapy, your teen will have a platform where they can place things that are important to them in sand. This gives them something tactile to do while also providing an icebreaker and a way for them to get engaged in counseling. Positivity Therapy can help your teen move away from a negative mindset and improve their self-worth by focusing on their strengths, gifts, and greatest joys.
I will also help your teen connect what happens in counseling with what happens in the real world. We will discuss how their actions affect other people, how to be empathetic, and how they can resolve relationship issues when they need to make amends. Along with that, we talk about how they can advocate for themselves as they become adults.
Above all, my hope is that your teen will learn how to be themselves. I want them to accept who they are and understand that they don’t have to live in service to the pressures of the outside world. They have the power and intelligence to chart their own course into adulthood—my role is simply acting as a guide and a source of support along the way.
But You May Still Have Concerns About Teen Therapy…
My teen is worried that everyone will find out if they go to counseling.
It’s normal for your teen to be apprehensive about counseling if they’re worried about other people finding out. That’s why I let all of my teen clients know no one has to know they’re in counseling. I’ll even walk you, the parents, through some strategies to help your teen feel confident that their information will stay private.
I’m worried that even with counseling, my teen’s behavior won’t change.
When you’re not sure what to do next, it can be hard to imagine something that can help. I want to show you and your teen that changing actions can change outcomes. Once your teen learns to process their emotions and move forward, other changes will follow. I believe things can change for the better, and I hope I can help your teen see that, too.
My teen’s schedule is so busy, I’m not sure they can make time for counseling.
I understand that the days and weeks can be crowded. It might seem counterintuitive, but taking an hour each week to help your teen connect with a therapist and feel less overwhelmed can make the rest of the week go more smoothly. Therapy can help your teen think more clearly and react well when they are under pressure or overwhelmed. This, in turn, can make things less stressful for your whole family.
Counseling Can Empower Your Teen And Prepare Them For The Journey Ahead
It’s possible for your teen to find their way through these challenges and gain more confidence as a result. If you’re ready to take the next step, you can contact Pinkerton Psychotherapy for a free, 15-minute consultation.
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