Teen Therapy
Is Your Teen Struggling With Life’s Challenges and Demands?
Being a teen has never been considered an easy transition period and most adolescents experience uncomfortable, awkward moments as well as new pressures, new stressors, and feelings of uncertainty and doubt.
But is your teen struggling to stay afloat and meet their basic needs and responsibilities? Do they experience anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues that make it difficult for them to take on their day and thrive?
Maybe your teen has gone through a life event that has left them struggling to adjust, like the loss of a loved one, an unexpected health change, or a traumatic experience.
You may be wondering if therapy can help your teen feel better, cope with their challenges, and flourish in life.
The Teenage Years Are A Time Of Self-Discovery—But They Bring About A Host Of New Stressors
Navigating friendships and experiencing social pressures can be hard at this age, and the parent-adolescent relationship can become strained as well. Naturally, as a child ages, they pull away from their family unit as a way to explore their independence, but this can be a difficult transition with its own set of challenges.
School can be a source of stress and anxiety for many adolescents as they can feel overwhelmed by academic expectations. They could also feel worried about their future and post high-school life, worrying about what it will look like for them.
Regardless of the cause, the teenage brain can struggle to adapt to all of these pressures and changes. As a result, depression and anxiety are very normal in teens. Both mental health conditions share some of the same symptoms, including a rapid and unexpected change in mood as well as sleep disturbances, heart palpitations, and stomach problems.
At Inside Psychotherapy, we understand the challenges of the teen years. We are trained to work with teens and adolescents in a safe, non-judgmental environment in therapy, building trust to help them through any mental health issues they face.
Many Teens Struggle With Their Mental Health
The transition from childhood to adolescence can be a time of great excitement but also high levels of stress. Additionally, the impact of the pandemic is long-lasting, and we still don’t know all of the ways it has affected modern teens in these critical developmental years.
Many teenagers were forced to put their social lives on hold and had to attend school from home. This has led to increased isolation and mental health struggles among modern teens. It’s very common for adolescents to have big emotional swings and feel things very deeply. Just because they are no longer children does not mean they can easily adapt to major changes in life. Modern life puts more pressure on teens than ever to succeed and thrive.
They likely receive pressure to perform well in school and their extracurricular activities, are no doubt influenced by social media, and also must deal with the transitions out of high school and beyond. What’s more, many teens feel shame for not measuring up to what they perceive as their peers’ success or not fulfilling expectations from their families and cultures.
About 14 percent of 10 to 19 year-olds experience mental health conditions globally, but unfortunately, most of these cases are unrecognized despite how effective treatment can be. (1) Adolescents today can find perspective and balance in their lives when they have a trusted adult to talk to who is not their family member or their teacher. Counseling provides an opportunity for teens to talk about their concerns openly as well as solve the challenges they face socially and academically.
How Teen Therapy Can Pave The Way For A Bright Future
Inside Psychotherapy of NYC offers a variety of both in-person and online therapy services for teens and adolescents. We approach counseling with compassion and understanding, and your teen can express their concerns to an impartial and open minded listener.
Our therapists can help teens:
- Better understand their relationships with their parents, family, and friends, offering guidance and support
- Manage their stress over school and other responsibilities
- Treat and manage anxiety and depression
- Prepare for life after high school by exploring and understanding their options, setting goals, and developing a plan for the future.
What Teen Counseling Sessions Look Like
When your teen first comes to sessions, we’ll take some time to go over our routine and teach them some basics of therapy. Our sessions are a safe and confidential space where they can say whatever they want without fear of being judged or looked down on. That said, we still want to make sure parents or guardians play an active role in the treatment process. From time to time, we can check in to discuss progress and listen to your feedback.
In therapy, we help teens identify core issues they’re dealing with, whether that includes anxiety, depression, or any other challenges, as well as any external factors at play. We work to reassure them that they are not alone in their struggles and that there are tools to intervene and help them feel better.
We Take An Eclectic Approach To Teenage Therapy
Our experienced therapists are here to help teens build resilience, manage stress, and develop effective coping tools. Our overall approach is relational, relying on a strong therapeutic alliance between teens and their counselors.
We draw from principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic psychotherapy, and in some cases, exposure response prevention when there are obsessions, compulsions, avoidance, and phobic tendencies involved. Our cognitive behavioral therapy program can help adolescents and teens learn to challenge their own beliefs, reframe their circumstances, and develop new tools to cope with the challenges of life.
Adolescence can be a tumultuous journey filled with changes, challenges, and uncertainties. Our counseling program provides a safe and compassionate environment where teens can express themselves without fear of judgment. At Inside Psychotherapy, we can help your teen discover a positive and exciting path for their well-being.
You Might Still Have Questions About Teen Therapy…
Are therapy sessions confidential?
To establish a high level of trust, we keep our sessions confidential unless there are safety issues. You can ask for updates from their therapist as the sessions progress, and they will do whatever they can to include both you and your teen in those conversations. You will also have access to notes that they’ll share with you.
Sometimes my teen’s emotions are so intense that they are scary. Is that normal?
While it may not seem like it at the moment, feelings are fleeting and will come and go. Especially during the teen years, emotions can feel downright apocalyptic! It’s normal for the person experiencing them and for their family and friends around them to sometimes feel scared. Reassure your child that those emotions will pass and that therapy is a chance to explore the root cause of them.
I am worried about my child’s future. Can therapy help with that?
Yes! Teens have so much pressure now to succeed in life—from school and grades to college and beyond, all while learning how to be in a world with more social pressure than ever before. Your teen’s worries usually combine their social and emotional needs, their self-identity, their interests, and any challenges they face. Your teen’s counselor will work to separate your specific worries about your teen from their worries about themselves.
Your Teen’s Hopeful Future Starts Here
At Inside Psychotherapy, we understand that these pivotal years require understanding and support, and we’re committed to guiding your teen through major life changes in therapy. Reach out to us at 917-310-0512 or use our online form for a free, 15-minute consultation.
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
