Teen Counseling
Are You Having A Difficult Time Recognizing Your Teen Lately?
Have you noticed that your teen has recently been lashing out at you or other authority figures? Are they withdrawing from social activities they once enjoyed—spending more time alone and less time with friends? Or do they seem increasingly preoccupied with their success, to the point where it affects their mental and emotional well-being?
Maybe you’ve noticed that they’re struggling with self-esteem or body image issues, leading them to be overly negative and self-critical. Perhaps your teen is experiencing mood swings and becoming more irritable, angry, or sad as the days pass. Or maybe they’re scared of failing, which impacts their decisions, preventing them from going out and trying new things.
This is not the life you want for your teen. It can be difficult watching them go through these challenges and not knowing how to help. Sometimes, getting extra support is the right step to helping your teen navigate these transformative years. Counseling offers teens a healthy way to explore their experiences, feel supported, and receive tools to help them cope with the challenges they face.
These Days, It Isn’t Easy Being A Teenager
Being a teenager is a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. It’s a time for your teen to discover who they are and figure out the direction they want your life to take. While exploring new interests and forming friendships can be thrilling, the weight of decisions about their future, identity, and independence can also feel overwhelming.
Maybe your teen is experiencing the following:
- – Impulsivity
- – Forming unhealthy relationships
- – Communication problems
- – Engaging in risky behavior, e.g., self-harming, drug and alcohol abuse
- – Lack of enthusiasm or love for life
They could also be struggling to cope with certain physical symptoms like:
- – Lack of appetite and other GI issues
- – Changes in sleep pattern
- – Headaches
- – Fatigue
At Miracles Counseling Centers, we understand the unique challenges teenagers face. We can help them feel validated while providing the resources for them to feel hopeful for the future as they learn to manage their challenges with resilience.
Though They May Not Ask For Help—Teens Need Guidance During This Transformative Period
It’s very common for teenagers to experience mental and emotional challenges during these years. Emotional struggles have become much more prevalent than ever before.
Sometimes, teenagers may experience subtle emotional and behavioral changes that are distressing at first but can fade over time. However, for some, these issues can become debilitating and bleed into every aspect of their lives. When these feelings escalate beyond what feels normal, it’s crucial to seek support from a professional. Early intervention can prevent these issues from doing more harm.
Various Social And Biological Factors Can Cause Teens To Feel Distressed And Overwhelmed
Today’s teens are navigating a rapid phase of brain development while also facing overwhelming stimuli from the world around them. The influence of social media can lead to early feelings of insecurity, as they struggle with comparisons to idealized images that make it difficult to recognize their worth. Additionally, the stresses of modern life—particularly the impact of the pandemic on their early social and academic experiences—have contributed to rising rates of anxiety and depression among many teenagers.
As a parent, you’re accustomed to fixing problems for your teen and supporting them when something is wrong. You probably feel like you should be able to tackle their issues on your own. However, it can be overwhelming when you feel like your back is against the wall, and nothing you do seems to be helping. When this happens, seeking help from an experienced therapist provides you and your teen extra support, sets a space for expression, and provides tools for personal growth and development.
Counseling Can Help Your Teen Better Understand Themselves
Therapy is a space we have created for your teen to feel seen, heard, and comfortable having open and honest conversations about their experiences and emotions.
Teens will have the chance to explore and understand themselves in a safe, nurturing environment. Our aim at Miracles Counseling Centers is to equip them with the skills and confidence they need to navigate today’s social dynamics and develop the executive functioning skills that will contribute to their growth into healthy adults.
Families will be actively involved in the treatment process, enabling them to better understand what their teen is experiencing and learn effective ways to support and communicate with them. Together, teens and parents will collaboratively set goals, fostering a shared sense of purpose and direction.
We Specialize In Teen Counseling So Your Family Can Thrive
During therapy sessions, we use the following modalities to help your teen manage their emotional, mental and physical symptoms:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are both effective therapeutic approaches that focus on the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in teen therapy. These methods help adolescents recognize how their thoughts influence their feelings, which in turn affect their choices and actions. By addressing these thought patterns, teens can learn to manage their emotions and make healthier decisions.
Expressive Arts Therapy offers a creative alternative for teens to explore their emotional worlds. This approach helps them understand the impacts of personal, family, or academic life on their well-being. Through activities like painting, writing poetry, sculpting, and creating collages, teens can express their feelings and experiences. Music is also a powerful tool; teens can connect with lyrics that resonate with their lives, using metaphors to make sense of their experiences. We also incorporate experiential exercises such as role play and drama therapy for them to begin real life practices in utilizing skills learned.
Trauma-focused therapies are available to help teens address traumatic events that lead to emotional symptoms impacting their daily lives.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: EMDR is an effective therapy for teens to process trauma. It involves guided eye movements to help them reprocess distressing memories, reducing their emotional charge and helping in recovery.
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): This time-limited approach typically consists of 12 sessions and focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns or “thinking traps.” Teens learn to adjust the messages they tell themselves, promoting healthier thinking.
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT): Similar to CPT, TFCBT employs different methods to implement trauma recovery in a strength-based, realistic manner.
- Brainspotting: This method helps teens access and process traumatic memories stored in the brain. It uses specific eye positions to help release emotional pain.
Our team includes five clinicians certified by the state to deliver CPT, ensuring a professional and effective approach to trauma therapy. By combining these skills and modalities we can help your teen learn to communicate more effectively, manage their emotions and heal from their problems.
We know this time can feel overwhelming and scary, but change happens every day, and we will work diligently alongside you and your teen so you can experience real change and growth.
Perhaps You Are Considering Teen Therapy But Still Have Some Questions…
I’m concerned that my teen won’t want to go to therapy.
Beginning therapy can be frightening for some teens at first, and this is a normal feeling. Rest assured, your child will be greeted with warmth and made to feel comfortable. We have experience in building rapport quickly with teens and know how to connect with them to create a positive therapeutic space.
What role will I play in my teen’s therapy process?
As a parent, you are a vital part of the therapeutic process. You will be included in the initial intake session to provide a clear understanding of your teen’s needs and history. Throughout the therapy journey, we will check in with you regularly, and you will have the opportunity to communicate with your teen’s therapist, as well as participate in family therapy sessions when appropriate.
How experienced are your therapists with teens and teens’ issues?
The therapists at Miracles who work with teenagers are experienced in this population and possess the clinical skills in treatment approaches that work best for them. We have seen wonderful growth in many teens over the years of our practice, and we feel confident that your teen can achieve positive results too!
Teen Counseling Is Where Real Change Happens
If your teen is experiencing anxiety, depression, or feelings of isolation and not fitting in, Miracles Counseling Centers can help. Please contact us to set up a 20-minute phone or virtual consultation to see how our approach to teen counseling can provide your teen with empowerment as they embrace the possibility of a bright and hopeful future.