Counseling for Teens
Do You Worry About Your Teen’s Mental Well-Being?
Is your teen suddenly acting out, underperforming, or having trouble in school? Are they always holed up in their room, isolated from family, friends, or the world in general? Do you have a hard time communicating with your teen without them arguing or feeling attacked?
Perhaps you worry that anxiety or depression is playing a role in your teenager’s behavior, but you don’t know how to address it on your own. Or maybe they are part of a marginalized community, and you want to ensure they receive the support and validation they need to be happy and have a fulfilling life.
Watching A Child Struggle Is Heart Breaking For Any Parent
You may worry that your teen is being bullied or having difficulty making healthy connections with others. They may struggle with low self-esteem or issues of low self-worth as they navigate the rugged terrain of relationships, college prospects, and expectations for success.
And though you likely try to be open and present for them, they may be reticent to share their thoughts and feelings. At the end of the day, the confusion, distance, and breakdown in communication may even make you question your abilities as a parent.
The truth is that all teens struggle to some degree, and our therapists at My Time Counseling recognize that. We want to help you understand your teen better while giving them the tools, self-confidence, and inner awareness needed to be happy, healthy, and capable adults.
The Problems Facing Teens Are Often Unseen Or Misunderstood
The teen years represent an extremely difficult transition period for young people. In fact, their brains will develop more during this phase than at any other point in their lives moving forward. So it makes a lot of sense that there are changes happening that parents can’t fully understand or even see.
Teenagers can quickly get overwhelmed by the pressure to be popular, academically successful, and engaged in extracurricular activities meant to help them stand out later. Most are forming some of their first romantic relationships and experiencing true adversity for the first time.
Then there’s the stress of choosing the right college, degree, and career path. That’s not even considering the harmful impact that social media, COVID-19, and bullying can have on a young person—especially our LGBTQ youth. All of these factors present formidable challenges for young people who are very much at a crossroads in their life.
Unfortunately, it can be really difficult for parents or family to understand what is going on. Instead, their teen’s behavior can look like defiance or moodiness when something much deeper is at play. That’s why working with a teen counselor can be such a valuable resource.
My Time Counseling can help you as a parent gain clarity on your teen’s situation while providing them with an ally and a safe space to explore and work on themselves.
Counseling For Teens Provides Shelter From The Stress Of Life
It’s hard being a teen, and most don’t have someone they can talk to who isn’t motivated by their own interests. When it comes to being a parent, it’s only natural to try and steer them in the proper direction. However, teens need someone they can confide in—someone who will sit with them amid the messiness of their lives without telling them what they should or need to do.
In fact, sometimes teens don’t even know how they feel. They just know that something is off, yet they’re unable to put all the pieces together themselves and make sense of it. Counseling for teens offers a safe, non-combative environment where kids can dig deeper, process their concerns, and be honest about what they feel and need.
What Counseling For Teens Will Entail
In order for the therapeutic process to be productive, it’s important that we build a relationship of trust with your teen that is respected by both parent and therapist. Naturally, that means what we discuss in therapy stays in therapy unless your teen decides to share specific details with you. With that said, I am obligated by law to report any real concerns if I feel your teen poses a risk to themselves or others.
To get started, we will likely meet with you and your teen for our first session to lay out the ground rules and to get a feel for your collective concerns. From there, we will begin meeting with your teenager one-on-one.
In sessions, we’ll explore any negative thoughts, emotions, or behaviors, identify the nature of their origin, and develop a better comprehension of how they all interact with each other. Once your teen understands the root cause of their experiences, they can begin to challenge and better control those unproductive parts of the self.
How Do We Approach Counseling For Teens?
When it comes to treating teenagers, we take a laid-back, client-centered approach to therapy where we’re less of a driver and more of a passenger along for the ride, offering guidance and direction as we go. We also believe that each person is different, and what works for one may not work for another, so we strive to create a treatment plan that’s unique to each individual.
One of the tools we use, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (or CBT for teens), focuses on reconciling negative ideas about the self and replacing them with something more accurate and positive. Using CBT in counseling sessions is great for addressing teenage depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem issues.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is specifically designed to help young people overcome the devastating impact of trauma. This therapy model can also be helpful for successfully addressing teenage anxiety and substance use issues that result from trauma. In our sessions, we’ll make sure to equip your teenager with effective coping skills for managing stress, adversity, and a range of mental health challenges.
If you feel your teenager is troubled or could use a little help overcoming obstacles in their life—whatever they may be—My Time Counseling understands, and we’re here to help. Just like adults, teens need their own space, and that’s what working with a therapist can give them. Counseling for teens offers your young one the chance to fully know themselves, understand their experiences, and discover what they need to thrive and truly be happy.
Perhaps You Are Considering Therapy For Teenagers But You Still Have Some Concerns...
Have you provided counseling for teenagers before?
My Time Counseling has been mentoring and providing therapy for teens since 2015. We want you to know that simply having the opportunity for young people to be themselves and talk about what is on their mind without expectation or judgment can be life-changing in itself. We don’t rely on homework, diagnoses, or strict treatment plans; rather, we merely offer them a neutral space in which to be heard, feel validated, and bounce ideas around.
If my teen needs therapy, does it mean I’m a bad parent?
Being a teen is really difficult no matter how incredible your parenting is, and sometimes the support they need is more than family or friends can provide. Just like you or me, teenagers can use a little help every once in a while. Plus, teens often respond much better to a neutral third party whose primary interest is in listening, asking questions, and offering support that speaks to who they are as a person.
Can counseling for teens really help?
Therapy can be extremely helpful, especially if there has been a breakdown in communication between parent and child. Teens have many relationships, but few, if any, can address what they are going through at this point in life.
Therapy gives them someone who can help them understand their challenges and what they can do on their own to better themselves. Moreover, we also offer online therapy for teens, allowing them to meet from wherever they feel the most comfortable, which can be a catalyst for making the healing process even more effective.
Let Us Help Your Teen Learn How To Thrive
If you would like to ensure the healthy development of your teenager as they transition into adulthood, My Time Counseling would be honored to help. Please email, call, or send us a message via our website, or even text us for your free, 15-minute consultation—or to set up your first counseling for teens session.
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