Teen Counseling
Is Your Teenager Struggling With Their Mental Health?
Are they dealing with anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem?
Have they been isolating and spending all their time on their phone or their computer?
As much as you want to help them, do you feel like you’re at a loss for answers?
Maybe your teenager is overwhelmed by all the changes in their life. Perhaps they’re sad, irritable, and suffering from constant mood swings. Unable to cope with all their emotions, they might turn to drugs, alcohol, pornography, and other unhealthy habits. As a result, you may be considering talking to a teen therapist.
Your Desire To Help Your Teen Could Conflict With Their Desire For Independence
As a parent, nothing breaks your heart like watching your teen struggle. Yet because they want their independence, they might act hostile whenever you try to help them. Over time, this could put a lot of strain on your relationship with your teen. The more you try to intervene, the more they insist on being left alone.
Deep down, you probably wish your teen had a trustworthy adult that they could talk to about their mental health problems. If this is the case, I encourage you to connect with me. With my help and support, I’m confident that your teenager can stabilize their mood, boost their confidence, and improve their relationship with you.
Many Teens Struggle To Adapt To All The Changes In Their Lives
The teenage years are a period of intense personal development. Teens are starting to look inward and get introspective, developing a deeper sense of self-awareness. For the first time, they’re asking existential questions like: Who am I? What do I want in life? Who do I want to surround myself with?
On top of all the uncertainty teens face, there is so much pressure nowadays for teens to succeed socially, academically, and in every area of their lives. Social media has added to this sense of pressure, creating a culture of unhealthy comparisons. All over the internet, teens are exposed to unrealistic standards of beauty, popularity, and success.
Naturally, this leads many teens to feel inferior and suffer from low self-esteem, making the need for counseling even greater than it’s ever been.
Too Many Parents View Their Teen’s Struggles As A Reflection Of Their Parenting
Raising a teenager is difficult. Unfortunately, too many parents internalize their teenager’s struggles and blame themselves for their teen’s mental health issues. They view sending their child to therapy as an admission of failure.
Nothing could be further from the truth. You could be the most wonderful caregiver in the world, but that doesn’t guarantee that your teenager’s path will be easy. It’s okay to have extra support. The right therapist can give your teen the wisdom, understanding, and validation to feel better about themselves and their future.
Counseling Can Help Your Teen Live Up To Their Full Potential
Most teens are reluctant to ask adults for help. After all, many of them don’t want to confide in authority figures like parents, teachers, or coaches. As a counselor, I can act as a source of unconditional support for your teen without being an authority figure. My client-led approach ensures that your teen has full autonomy over their treatment process. Instead of telling them what to do, I’m here to help them access the answers that are already within them.
I provide therapy for depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and many other teenage mental health issues. My approach is not overly theoretical, but focused on building relationships. I’m not here to pathologize your teen or focus on diagnoses—I want to help them play to their strengths, explore their identity, and create the future they want for themselves.
What To Expect In Teen Therapy Sessions
As the parent, you are always welcome to participate in your teen’s treatment if needed. That said, my intention is always to facilitate trust and rapport with your teen so that parental involvement is limited. After all, I want your teen to increase their own personal agency. For this to happen, your teen needs to be able to work through their challenges independently.
Ultimately, what I work on with your teen depends on what their needs and goals are. Some of the main things I focus on include:
New communication skills
Impulse-control strategies
Healthier ways of handling stress
Conflict management
Improved social skills
Mood stabilization
Increased self-esteem
Additionally, self-exploration is often a major part of teen counseling sessions. The teenage years are a time for teens to find their identity, and therapy can help them figure out who they are and what they want in life. It can act as a stepping stone toward a more fully-realized sense of self.
Ultimately, your teen’s journey toward becoming who they are is a trial-and-error process. Making mistakes is a natural part of that. This is why I encourage teens to be kind to themselves—no one can get it right every time. Therapy is a space where they’re allowed to make mistakes, experiment with different skills, and find a path forward that suits their hopes and dreams.
You May Have Some Questions And Concerns About Teen Counseling…
What if my teen won’t talk to you?
I have a lot of experience working with teens who are reluctant to talk. Once teens see that I’m someone they can trust unconditionally, they are generally comfortable opening up about their struggles. Oftentimes, they come in thinking therapy will mean just another adult lecturing them—only to realize that the opposite is true. I’m here to empathize with their pain and empower them to pursue their goals. Therapy happens on their terms, not mine.
Will counseling affect my relationship with my teen?
I want to help your teenager improve their relationship with you. I will give them new communication strategies so that they can share their feelings with you and navigate disagreements constructively. And I’m not going to judge you or view your teen’s difficulties as a reflection of your parenting. I understand that you’re doing the best you can. The fact that you’re seeking extra support for your teenager reflects that.
What if my teenager is just going through a phase that won’t last?
If left untreated, teenage mental health issues can develop into more complex problems in adulthood. This is why it’s always good to be proactive. Even if your teenager’s current struggles are part of a “phase,” it’s still important to get support so that they can have a smoother transition into adulthood.
Give Your Teen The Opportunity To Heal, Grow, And Thrive
If you want to find out more about how my approach to counseling can empower your teen to live up to their full potential, I encourage you to call 248-514-6887. I provide both online and in-person therapy for teens.
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