Get Help for Your Teen
It’s easy to feel worried or scared when your teen is showing signs of pain or confusion.
“Is this serious? Or is this just a stage?”
Does any of the following sound familiar?
- Your teen is often angry
- Your teen withdraws from you more and more
- You see signs of stress or depression
- You suspect there may be drug or alcohol issues
- Your teen might be struggling academically
- You notice your teen feels really down about themselves
Not knowing what to do can create stress in your family.
Parents need guidance and support to guide them through these challenges. They need someone who has the experience and skills to deal with your teen.
Teenagers need their own support, guidance, and clarification to help them get through these difficult times in their lives.
So let me encourage you: Get Help.
When you’re experiencing challenges in your relationship with your teenage child, it’s easy to feel vulnerable and confused about where to turn to for help.
Parents often wait a long time before they reach out for help – sometimes, too long.
I understand how you might feel unsure about reaching out to someone for support. In reality – none of this is easy!
Giving Teens a Better Roadmap
I see a range of teenagers with a lot of different issues.
A typical situation comes to mind when I saw a high school student who was brought to see me after being hospitalized for depression and suicidal feelings.
This young man did not fully understand his own emotions and rarely spoke about them.
After working with him, he became able to discuss his emotions. He began to see that discussing emotions was a road map to understanding how to deal with his feelings.
He was finally able to begin to discuss how he felt mistreated in high school. He began to get through the shame of sharing this information and accessed his real feelings and anger.
His journey of healing had begun, and over the next few months he acquired the skills that allowed him to process his feelings and be able to discuss them. He began to see that by understanding his feelings, he could talk about them and get ideas for how to deal with future conflicts in his life.
I’m happy to report that he returned to school the following year to have a very successful senior year of high school.
My Commitment to Your Teenager
Teenagers come to me with many issues – including anxiety and depression – and they can learn how to recognize their emotions and gain better control over them. They can learn to feel better and do better.
You want someone who is committed and interested in each teenager’s unique way of dealing with stress and pain.
I endeavor to see your teenager as a unique individual. I am committed to supporting the exciting process of growth while also helping them learn the skills to deal with the inevitable struggles of life.
I enjoy engaging a teen who is resistant as well as the teen who is interested in getting the help they need.
Why Do I Work with Teenagers?
I enjoy working with teenagers because they are seeking to be “real” in a world that can seem fake and inauthentic.
Many times, I have heard a teen who had said they would never enter a therapist’s office come out of their first session feeling that it was a positive experience.
Call me with your questions or concerns. I am here to help you get through the challenging times and help your teen negotiate these challenges.
I base my work on the awareness that we all want to escape pain and feel happy. Only when we face our issues can we find constructive ways of overcoming them.
How Do We Get Started?
First, we have a conversation about your concerns about your teenager.
Then, I’ll set up a session with you and your teen during which we will go over the concerns you both have.
After that, I meet with the teenager alone to get a sense of what they feel about being there and what concerns they may be experiencing.
We may need to get further evaluations and/or medical consultations for medications depending on the issues your teen is dealing with.
We then make a plan of how to move forward. Usually, this is through weekly individual sessions with occasional meetings or conversations with the teen and the parents.
When you’re ready to get help for your teen, give me a call: (240) 472-3992