Are you worried about your teen’s intense mood swings?
- Have you found your adolescent engaging in self-harm or other self-destructive behaviors?
- Do you feel like your teen could benefit from therapy to support them during a major life transition?
- Are you concerned about the high stress environment of school and sports on your teen’s mental health?
- Is your teen isolating themselves from friends and family?
- Have you noticed your adolescent becoming more obsessive about their body image?
- Has your teen experienced abuse or another traumatic event?
Going to therapy can help your teen be confident in their unique self
Adolescence is described as a time of storm and stress. If you have a teen in your household, you know this only too well. The high academic pressure, extracurricular demands, often changing social situations, and hormonal shifts make it hard for teens to form their identity and trust themselves.
They have information coming at them in so many different directions that it can be hard to navigate in the best of circumstances. Let alone they have lived through a pandemic and have the constant barrage of social media showing them often daily how they cannot measure up. No wonder we have an adolescent mental health crisis in this country!
Have any questions? Send me a message!
Change is synonymous with adolescence
Most of the parents who seek treatment for their teens just want reassurance that their teen’s behavior is somewhere in the range of normal. You may wonder what happened to my happy go lucky, warm, snuggly child. Your teen is experiencing heightened emotions with little skill to reign them in. They may seem sad, withdrawn, and depressed one day only to be irritated, short-tempered, and annoyed the next. It may be really difficult to get a good gauge on what is most pressing with your adolescent right now. Luckily, a supportive therapeutic environment can help your teen make sense of what they are experiencing, which can also help you, as a parent, rest easier at night.
It really is ALL about them
Teens really do feel like they are the center of the universe and the whole world is watching their every move. As the prefrontal cortex of their brain, which is responsible for executive functioning, is not fully formed, teens struggle with managing impulses, attention, regulating emotions, and directing behavior toward long term goals. Yet despite this, schools have shifted toward teens having a career and entire high school academic plan by eighth grade. This increases anxiety, perfectionism, and depression.
However, adolescence can be a time of risk taking, identity formation, and role shifting. We need to normalize not knowing, especially as studies have shown that teens are maturing later. They are also taking less risks and having more trouble separating and individuating. In addition, the presence of iphones have contributed to main character vibes and social media has also escalated this.
Most teens I work with really like therapy
It is often the only place that is actually their own space. Your teen and I will work together to talk about what is bothering them and how I can help them. I let them take the lead. In a world full of pressure and demands, your teen can feel like they are finally in control of something in the nonjudgemental counseling environment.
The goal is to help your adolescent gain more confidence, take risks interpersonally, and be better equipped to fail. I often teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills, which teens desperately need at this point in their lives. Through therapy, your teen will hopefully like themselves more and feel more comfortable in their own skin. This should have a positive impact on your relationship and give you reassurance you are seeking.
A teen therapist in the trenches with you
I really wished I had therapy as a teen. I struggled and suffered in silence. This has made me acutely aware and sensitive to the storm and stress of adolescents. It can be a wonderfully miraculous time too, as your teen learns to confidently use their voice. As a mother to two adolescent girls, rest assured that I am in the trenches with you too.
I have been working with teens for over 25 years now and have dealt with a wide variety of issues. Some of the things I have dealt with are suicidal ideation, self-harm, sexual identity, sexual issues, sexual abuse, physical abuse, trauma, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, grief, PTSD, bipolar, ADHD, relationship issues, problems with family, identity issues, gang violence, drug and alcohol abuse, OCD, psychosis, school problems, social anxiety, and many more.
My training has always been devoted to depth psychology. I have been trained to utilize psychodynamic and object relations theory. I also utilize cognitive behavioral techniques from time to time when working with children. In addition, I am certified in dialectical behavior therapy which helps teach emotion regulation skills, distress tolerance skills, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. I have also taken one of the most comprehensive certification programs in grief education by world renowned expert, David Kessler.
Common questions about teen therapy...
Taking the first steps: teen counseling in Brea
Starting teen therapy can be anxiety inducing and keep you up late at night wondering if you’re making the best decision.
I can assure you that therapy is never the wrong decision.
It can give you peace of mind to know that another adult who is trained not only in mental health but the issues unique to adolescence has a pulse on what your teen is experiencing.
