Teen Counseling
Is Your Teen Struggling To Find Their Place?
Are you concerned about your teen’s change in mood and behavior? Have they become withdrawn, anxious, overly stressed out, or depressed? Is it difficult for them to concentrate at school, make or sustain friendships, or feel accepted by their peer group?
As a parent, there’s nothing harder than to witness your child floundering yet feel unable to help. Rather than confiding in you, your teen may either shut you out entirely, have difficulty articulating what’s underlying their distress, or lie about it. Without a clear understanding of what’s wrong, you may feel helpless to intervene.
Maybe You’ve Noticed Troubling Changes In Behavior
Either abruptly or over time, your child is no longer the kid they once were. Perhaps the first thing you noticed was their grades slipping or that they stopped participating in extracurricular activities they once enjoyed. Maybe they’re spending more time alone, isolated not only from the rest of the family but also from their friends. Or perhaps they’ve ended longstanding friendships—seemingly without a reason—or lost their desire to socialize.
If your child spends an unbalanced amount of time consuming social media, it may be negatively impacting their body image, self-confidence, or self-worth. They may be exhibiting symptoms of anxiety—excessive worry, trouble concentrating, avoiding stressful situations, and experiencing panic attacks—and/or depression—lack of motivation, social withdrawal, sadness, irritability, and disruptions in sleeping and eating habits. You may suspect they are abusing substances or engaging in self-harm, raising your concern about their safety and well-being.
In their quest to feel loved and accepted by others, your child may struggle to find their way. The good news is that teen counseling is a safe space for them to openly talk about their challenges without fear of judgment or recrimination. In therapy for teenage anxiety and depression, your child will learn hands-on skills to navigate life more successfully and joyfully.
Teens Want To Be Known And Accepted
The overarching priority for teens is to figure out who they are, where they fit in, and find acceptance by themselves and from others. However, in the pursuit of this approval, today’s teen encounters a host of potential challenges, including peer pressure, body image issues, academic stress, and addiction to social media consumption, all while facing an uncertain future.
Statistics gathered by the World Health Organization (WHO) confirm the mental health challenges teens are currently facing. Their research found that "it is estimated that 3.6 percent of 10–14-year-olds and 4.6 percent of 15–19-year-olds experience an anxiety disorder." [1] Further, "the consequences of failing to address adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults." [2]
Social Media And Increasing Academic Pressure Has Exacerbated An Already Challenging Developmental Stage
Adolescence has traditionally been known as a turbulent phase of life, rife with physiological upheaval, rites of passage, and a clamoring for independence that often outpaces the emotional maturity to handle it. However, with the advent of social media, today’s teens live more virtually and independently. Sadly, they must contend with constant self-comparison to unrealistic standards, cyberbullying, and a lack of face-to-face connection.
What’s more, in our increasingly competitive society—both academically and athletically—they live under continuous scrutiny and often feel overwhelmed. With these multifaceted variables, adolescence has become a far more insecure experience, particularly as teens try to discern who they are from others telling them who they are.
Teens often feel like they have no one to share their problems with. Not only are they often uncomfortable turning to parents for help, but since their peers are going through similar struggles, they may be unwittingly exposed to unhealthy ideas and behaviors that do more harm than good. They need a neutral party outside of their friends and family to talk to.
Establishing rapport with a counselor offers teens a sounding board they don’t get anywhere else. Building a healthy therapeutic alliance in counseling gives your teen the support they need to meet this challenging phase of life head-on.
Counseling Provides A Safe Space For Your Teen To Be Known
All teens struggle with knowing themselves and finding a place where they feel seen and heard. Counseling offers a safe, judgment-free space where your teen can talk to someone who isn't their parent. As a therapist, not only am I a mental health professional your teen can confide in, but also a neutral party who can help them acknowledge and celebrate their unique gifts and strengths.
Teenage therapy aims to help your child develop self-awareness, self-compassion, confidence, and purpose. Providing them with a forum to share their dreams and fears, we will formulate a plan to better navigate whatever challenges they’re experiencing. Through open dialogue, we will explore subjects that, perhaps, your child isn’t comfortable sharing with you, such as emotions, relationships, life transitions, and trauma. As your child learns to treat themselves with more kindness, it opens up their capacity to develop resilience, prioritize what matters to them, and guide them toward wellness.
What To Expect From Teen Counseling
In our initial session, we will determine what your teen would like to accomplish in therapy and collaborate to set some tangible goals. Once your child has described what they are struggling with, I will reassure them that anything they’re thinking, feeling, or doing is normal. In other words, there are no wrong answers.
In therapy for teens, getting your child’s buy-in is essential for success. The goal will be to teach them helpful coping strategies and keep them actively engaged in the process. As a teen therapist, my priority is to relate to your child openly and honestly, building an alliance based on trust and mutual respect.
Although therapy sessions will be attended solely by your teen, I check in with parents periodically to keep them abreast of progress. If your teen agrees, we may schedule one or two joint sessions to address family dynamics or other specific challenges you may be experiencing at home.
The Modalities I Use In Teen Therapy
To address the unique challenges your teen may be facing, I draw from a variety of effective evidence-based modalities and concepts, including:
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for teens to improve emotional regulation and tolerance to distressful situations;
Mindfulness to practice staying in the present moment, thereby avoiding acting on impulse;
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for teens to identify negative self-talk and mindset, allowing your teen to shift toward more helpful thoughts and beliefs;
Attachment-based therapy to explain the nature of close relationships;
Behavioral activation motivation techniques, such as better time management, self-care habits, social and communication skills, problem-solving, and conflict resolution;
Confidence and self-esteem building exercises that promote body image acceptance; and
Anxiety and depression symptom management.
Investing in your child’s well-being now will pay off in the future. When your child cultivates self-acceptance and confidence, they will feel known and have the insight and wisdom to make positive choices for themselves. Teen counseling can help them develop a self-understanding that will carry into their adult years, setting them up for a lifetime of mental wellness.
But Maybe You’re Not Sure If Counseling Is Right For Your Teen…
Does counseling for teens just consist of talking? If so, I’m not sure it will help them.
Understandably, you may be concerned your teen won’t engage in counseling if it only consists of talking to a therapist each week. As a counselor who specializes in working with teens, I aim to make each session engaging and client-directed. Depending on your child’s needs, therapy for teens will teach them a variety of coping skills, including Cognitive and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (CBT and DBT), mindfulness exercises, and relaxation techniques. Empowering your teen with these helpful tools ensures that therapy will have long-term benefits.
My teen is concerned the therapist will tell me everything they talk about.
As therapists, we value our client’s privacy. While there are some exceptions—like your teen has expressed that they or someone else is in danger—we generally respect confidentiality and won't share what they discuss in therapy without their permission.
What can my teen expect to happen in counseling sessions?
Therapy will be steered by what your teen wants to talk about. They will be encouraged to express and explore their thoughts and feelings. The therapist will listen non-judgmentally, provide guidance, and help your teen develop coping skills, insights, and strategies to manage their challenges, all while offering compassionate support and validation.
Developing Self-Awareness Allows Your Teen To Feel Known
If your teen is struggling to find their place in the world, therapy offers a safe and supportive space for them to learn, grow, and thrive. To find out more about in-person or online teen therapy with Be Known Wellness Group, email, call 857-505-1856, or visit Our contact page to schedule a free 15-minute call.
[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
[2] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
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