ADOLESCENT Counseling
You only want the best for your child.
They are incredibly smart, talented, and beautiful. It seems that there’s nothing they can’t accomplish when they set their mind to it. You believe in them so strongly!
Every time you look at them, you remember the first day you met, and held them in your arms at the hospital. It felt like the world faded away, and the only thing that mattered was in the circle of your embrace.
When they smiled, they had the sweetest little twinkle in their eye. Their laughter was the most joyful sound you’d ever heard.
Now, they’re moody. They mostly keep to themselves and no longer open up about what’s on their mind. This seemingly unrelenting, suffocating cloud of depression and anxiety is not what you wanted for your child. You want them to be happy, go to college, have a thriving career, and maybe someday start a family of their own.
It’d just be the best thing in the world if they would just smile again the way they used to. They’re just so difficult to understand–it feels nearly impossible to know how to help, support, or even just reach out.
Get the help your teen needs.
I’ve worked with countless adolescents, many of them in inpatient care settings. I absolutely love working with adolescents because I believe in their ability to reach their potential as much as you do!
It’s my goal to work towards not having you, or your child, walk through the doors of an inpatient hospital setting ever, or ever again. It’s expensive, and that money can be much better used for other things like your family’s general expenses, vacation fund, or a college fund.
These are some of the symptoms you may want to be looking for in your teenager:
Your teen might be emotionally explosive even over small stuff or feeling irritated or annoyed all the time. They might be struggling with caring a lot about what other people think. Teens sometimes even begin talking about very dark topics such as self-harm and suicide or acting on self-harming (such as cutting, denying self-healthy food and dietary habits, etc.) which always needs to be taken seriously.
They might be ignoring you, no longer doing hobbies they like, not hanging out with friends and family, or isolating or withdrawing from social activities.
Lashing out in anger grades begin slipping or falling behind in school, and difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much are also common.
If your child is beginning to show any signs of behavioral change, let’s get them help as soon as possible!
This can be legitimately nerve wracking. You love your child and are maybe even struggling with your self-worth as a parent. But, I really want to dissuade you from going that way.
You’re not a mental health expert. However, you’ll always be the parent.
Reach out to someone who can teach your child coping skills and help them process. Don’t wait because your teenager might develop worse behaviors like skipping school, self-harming (i.e. cutting), running away, doing drugs, or attempt suicide.
Getting help doesn’t mean defeat.
Getting help and making the investment in counseling shows how much you love and cherish your child.
I build strong bonds of trust in a therapeutic space that will help your child feel safe to say the things that they’re maybe afraid to say. Together, we’ll work out how they can better communicate these things to you (because, y’know, teens don’t have filters and have to learn that stuff somehow).
I’ll also teach them coping skills to help them manage the emotional disturbances they’ve been having (i.e. rebelling against you).
Remember, they’re still so young. This stuff is happening at the right time in their lives when they can still work through a lot without it permanently impacting them too much.
Your teen and I will even sometimes play games like cards, or take walks together to help diffuse the tension and ease communication. We have lots of options, and therapy will be as unique and special as your teen.
Your child is still that good kid you’ve always known.
It’s going to be some hard work and there’s going to be some adjustment.
We’ll get through this, together.