Teen Therapy
Teen years are the bridge between childhood and adulthood, a truly crucial time.
Teen Therapy can help with behavioral issues, depression, anxiety, bullying, suicidal thoughts, dealing with divorce, and low self-esteem.
Being a teenager in today’s society is likely the hardest it has ever been before. Struggles with emotions, relationships, self-esteem, and bullying are just a few of the many stressors currently plaguing young people. You may feel helpless about how you can best help your teen. Please know that this is not only understandable but highly common among parents of teenage children.
Teens and their world
During the teen years, a person is dealing with understanding their own identity, where and how to fit in with peers, rapid physical changes, and challenges in making healthy, sound choices. When these factors collide, many teens need additional support to cope.
Major loss and life changes (such as natural disasters, divorce, remarriage of parents, relocation, death in the family, etc.) can bring about a host of emotional responses resulting in isolation, arguing, defiance, and other unhealthy behaviors. It is usually during this time that the teenager’s family and friends notice significant changes in how they present and behave.
What is Teen Therapy?
Teen therapy is two-pronged. It enables a teenager to process life difficulties in a safe, supportive environment, and it also functions as a bridge between teenagers and the rest of their families and the world. Teens often need insight to fully understand the impact they have on others; they frequently need the space and time to develop the personal skills that are necessary for navigating stressors in their daily lives. Parents want to better understand their teenagers and push them toward success, but they often find that they have trouble communicating with their teens.
Teen Therapy may be a good fit for your child if he/she is:
- Dealing with bullying or conflict with peers
- Struggling with low self-esteem or confidence
- Seems to be preoccupied with perfectionism
- Consistently argumentative, seeming to be defiant, or rebellious
- Navigating a major change in the family (divorce, remarriage of parents, or loss of a loved one)
- Struggling with a sense of identity (“Who am I?”)
- Recovering from a personal trauma
- Coping with the various difficulties of teenage life
How Teen Therapy helps families
Teen therapy can help a teenager better cope with emotions and become better at managing various stressors in their life. As teenagers become more self-aware and develop better communication skills, they become better at connecting with their parents and families in healthy and productive ways.* Teen therapy helps parents become more informed of the stressors their teens are under and of how best to move forward in supporting them in the best ways possible. Ultimately, teen therapy is geared to support teen recovery and strengthen the family bond.
*Please note, a parent/caregiver must be present for the initial session of teen therapy and be able to commit to a family therapy session periodically throughout teen therapy treatment.