Therapy for Teens
We Offer Therapy for Teens, focusing on Challenges Unique to the Teenage Years
Is your teen under a lot of stress? Do they not seem as happy as they once did? Are they suffering from a depressed, anxious, or irritable mood? Have they experienced a serious trauma and displaying symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Do you feel powerless in your attempts to help them? We provide therapy for teens with these and similar mental health concerns.
Teenage years can be a combination of great fun, increased freedom, and tremendous stress. During these years, adolescent teens undergo significant hormonal and brain changes, along with an increased desire to establish their identity. Social status also becomes increasingly important. Balancing these changes with academic, family, and, for some, employment pressures, is not always a smooth process. This process becomes even more difficult when life events such as family separation, divorce, death, and other changes outside of their control occur.
Common Life Challenges Among Teens
Teens can face serious life challenges that impact their mental health and well-being.
- Loss – Loss can come in the form of a death of a loved one. It can also come in the form of parental separation or divorce. A loss also happens when a family moves to a new location and the teen must change schools and friends.
- Stress – Some degree of stress is expected in adolescence and can even be motivating. But too much stress can cause exhaustion and overwhelm at any age. Many teens face tremendous stress to do well in school, at home, and in extracurricular activities. They also face immense pressure to be accepted by their peers which can conflict with other pressures.
- Violence – Teens that are bullied at school or at home suffer, and are often alone. If not dealt with, the aftermath of violence or abuse can lead to longterm PTSD symptoms.
This is not an exhaustive list of challenges, but a professionally licensed and trained therapist can help a teen navigate these and other challenges. If you think your teen could benefit from therapy, please reach out to us.
What Therapies Do We Offer for Teens?
Individual Therapy
In private, one-on-one sessions, a therapist may use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help the teen make a connection between their thoughts and feelings, as well as understand how these impact their behavior. Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and other evidence-based modalities can also be used.
Group Therapy
Group therapy can be effective because it allows teens to see how their peers handle their problems. Social status is important for many teens. Most groups have five to ten teens and one therapist who will ask questions and guide the conversation.
Family Therapy
In this scenario, a teen will attend therapy with their parent(s) and sometimes even with siblings. This style of therapy can be very beneficial as it allows the family to communicate effectively and respectfully. We currently provide family therapy as a supplement to individual therapy and on a case-by-case basis.
Which type of therapy will be best for a teen will be determined by a trained therapist. Often, a combination of all three of these types of therapy may be appropriate.
If your teen is struggling right now and could benefit from therapy, please reach out to us.