Counseling for Teens
Giving Teens the Tools to Flourish
The teenage years are a critical period of development. Children's brains continue to grow well into their 20s impacting their cognitive, emotional, and social development and skills. Teens face challenges related to identity formation, managing increased responsibilities, navigating complex social relationships, and becoming more autonomous. Although teens have frequently been portrayed in pop culture as dramatic, moody, and defiant, I find that this simplistic portrayal is a disservice to the complex lives that teens live and minimizes the challenges and pressures that teens face today. The onset for almost 50% of adult mental health disorders occur by age 14. Adolescence is a critical period to intervene with mental health challenges. It is also a period to help youth foster critical social-emotional skills and develop healthy habits to promote emotional wellness across the lifespan.
Counseling May Be Helpful If Your Teen
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Feels depressed, worthless hopeless or irritable
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Feels overly anxious or fearful
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Avoids everyday interactions due to fear and distress
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Talks about suicide or death
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Intentionally causes harm to themselves by cutting, scratching, hitting, burning
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Reports suicidal ideation
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Has an intense need to clean, organize, or perform rituals
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Prefers to spend most of their time isolated
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Uses alcohol or drugs
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Displays difficulty sustaining attention
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Experiences significant weight loss/weight gain
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Causes physical harm to animals, people, or property
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Experiences disruptive sleep or sleeps excessively
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Academic difficulties or academic decline
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Has lost someone they are close to
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Has endured a traumatic event
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Has experienced big changes (i.e., divorce/separation, caregiver chronic illness)
What does counseling for teens look like?
For tweens and teens feeling heard and understood is critical to developing a trusting relationship that lends to overcoming difficulties. I take the time to get to know your teen and orient them to the therapeutic process from the initial intake session. During the first session, I devote time to meet with the parents and teen together and separately. This allows me to gather the teen's perspective and clarify goals for treatment that are relevant to both teen and parent.
I primarily utilize cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with teens. There is extensive research supporting the effectiveness of CBT for teens with conditions like anxiety, depression, and trauma. CBT helps people understand the link between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and teaches them ways to challenge and change unhelpful ways of thinking. With CBT teens also learn and practice healthy coping behaviors they can take with them across their lifespan to face their fears, reduce irritability, and manage loneliness and sadness.
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Incorporating the teen's interests, whether it be art, music, sports, or video games is also a common therapeutic approach.
At Flourish Psychology and Wellness my aim is to provide clients with an environment that fosters feelings of safety, respect, and support.