Does Your Teen’s Behavior Worry You?
Have you been noticing alarming trends and behaviors in your teenager? Do they engage in destructive habits as a result of suffering or trauma they’ve been through? Perhaps they are trying to cope with their struggles through behaviors that do more harm than good. Wearied by the curve-balls life has thrown at them, high-risk teens often withdraw from friends, neglect schoolwork, and become addicted to electronics or drugs and alcohol. They may even self-harm and experience suicidal thoughts. Deep down, many of them see no hope for the future.
Young people who are survivors of trauma and abuse are often at high risk of developing mental health issues. Life is hard for them, and there’s no sugarcoating it. They may struggle with anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), or Post-Traumatic Stress-Disorder (PTSD). Many troubled teens are embroiled in the juvenile justice system and already have criminal records. They may have spent time in a correctional or psychiatric facility and struggle to adjust when they get out. Or perhaps they have parents going through a divorce and find themselves in the middle of a custody fight. Because they’re so impressionable, it’s easy for them to feel like these struggles are all they’ll ever know.
The teenage years are often like a bubble, however. It’s hard for adolescents to see the bigger picture. Having someone who can guide them and show them there is more to life than their past experiences is vital. If you want to help your teen break out of old behavioral patterns and empower them to start a new chapter of their life, I would be honored to help.
Teenagers Today Live In A World Surrounded By Negativity
Teens constantly feel like nobody’s listening. And since they feel unable to get help from adults, many of them feel alone in the world. They often try to get by on their own power, not because they want to, but because they see no other way. As a result, many teens develop coping habits—such as drug and alcohol abuse or technological addiction—to help them deal with their own loneliness. Unfortunately, although these destructive behaviors may provide superficial relief, they exacerbate the cycle of loneliness because they don’t fulfill basic needs of human connection.
Our culture today makes connecting with others difficult for teens. They’re inundated with different forms of technology 24/7 and taught to google everything rather than seek the guidance of others. Not only does this technology isolate them from others but it also exerts a largely negative influence in their lives. Over the internet, adolescents are exposed to cyberbullying, harassment, pornography, and a whole host of ills that make them more vulnerable to negativity and add to the trauma they already carry.
That’s why it’s so important for teens to have a positive influence in their lives. The coping skills they develop are often harmful without them knowing it. Modern technology dysregulates their ability to manage emotions, focus on day-to-day life, and take care of themselves. Working together, we can help them craft a self-care plan that overpowers all the judgment and negativity they come across.
Therapy Is A Time For Your Teen To Discover Their Beautiful, Authentic Self
What teens want most is not just someone to talk to, but someone who will listen. Many of them have suffered trauma and abuse and just want someone they can pour themselves out to. My sessions give them a space to be seen, heard, respected, and sympathized with. Here, they have a chance to get to know themselves and connect with their true identity. It’s a time to step away from all the chaos outside and discover their beautiful, authentic self.
In the initial intake process, there will be two assessments to fill out: one for you, and one for your teen. Included with the assessment is a screening for depression, anxiety, and dissociative disorders. Afterwards, I will start meeting regularly with your teen one-on-one.
Teen therapy offers a chance for your young one to explore how they’re performing in school, what their home life is like, and ways to improve their mental health on a practical level. My goal is to help them navigate their emotions and focus on the things they can control. Life is overwhelming enough for them—many of them are recovering from abusive relationships or have parents in the midst of a divorce, and these circumstances are out of their control. That’s why my practice focuses on the little things they can do to transform the way they think, feel, and act on a day-to-day basis.
One of the central approaches I draw from is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The goal of CBT is to expose the faulty core beliefs that perpetuate cycles of negative emotion and behavior. I also utilize Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, which is more focused on minimizing the acute effects of trauma. EMDR essentially takes the emotion out of trauma, dispelling the powerful sensations that come about from painful events.
Teenagers are capable of tremendous growth and change. Your young one is more resilient than you—or they—might think. Sometimes, all they need is a strong support system to help them tap into their own resilience. Teen counseling isn’t about changing who they are but helping them discover the strengths that already lie within them.
You may have some questions and concerns about teen therapy…
Is my teen normal?
Adolescence is a wildly unpredictable time of life. Because teens are going through so many changes so quickly, they may seem like a different person every week. One day your teen may be angry and defiant, and the next they may be compliant and easygoing. In counseling, I will seek to normalize these changes and validate their growth as they discover new things about themselves.
Can my teen really be helped?
Teens often live in a kind of emotional bubble, reacting to whatever sensory input is present and living moment-to-moment. For this reason, they often get lost in their own heads and are unable to see the bigger picture. Therapy will help your teen broaden their vision and look beyond the narrowness of their own life experience. They will be able to step back from their reactive tendencies and weigh their decisions with greater tact and self-awareness.
What if my teen doesn’t want to come?
It’s common for teens to feel intimidated by counseling. If they’re hesitant, I would remind them I seek to accommodate their fears as much as possible and will only discuss what’s comfortable for them. This is a time for them to express their joys and sorrows to an unbiased third person without judgment and any compromise of confidentiality. Here, they won’t have to worry about parents or siblings listening in on them, like they might at home.
Help Your Teen Start A New Chapter In Life
If you’re tired of seeing your teen weighed down by the storms of life, I would be honored to help. To get started, you can call me at 303-905-9154 for a free phone consultation or fill out the contact form.
I offer both online and in-person teen therapy. I will do whichever option you prefer.