Teen Counseling
Is Your Teen Having Difficulty Connecting With Themselves And The World Around Them?
Is your teen struggling with aspects of anxiety, depression, social obstacles, or questioning their identity?
Do they feel like no one understands or cares about them?
Yet, despite being concerned about their symptoms and behaviors, are you having a hard time getting through to them?
Adolescence can be a tumultuous time of life. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are common among many teens. When these symptoms occur, there is a sense of hopelessness, loneliness, and aimlessness that makes everyday life difficult and even unbearable at times. As a result, the relationships and activities that were once a source of comfort and joy often become burdensome, daunting tasks that cause many teens to avoid and withdraw.
Naturally, these experiences can affect the ways in which teens interact with their friends, peers, and family members. They may demonstrate increased agitation and decreased self-esteem, impacting their ability to remain present with others. And when agitation or aggression pairs with risky behaviors like substance use or skipping school, chances are that home has become a high-conflict environment.
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re probably wondering what your teen needs in order to thrive and feel better. And while you have likely done everything you can to intervene, it’s possible that your teen is simply looking for the guidance and support of an adult who is not their parent, teacher, or coach. At Jessica Bolden Psychotherapy Group, we specialize in counseling for teens, creating a safe, open therapeutic environment where our clients can feel heard, understood, and empowered to make lasting, positive changes in their lives.
Have any questions? Send us a message!
It's Harder Than Ever To Be A Teenager
The period between childhood and adulthood was tough to navigate for most of us, but today’s teens encounter modern challenges that we did not have to face at their age. For instance, today’s teens went to school during the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced them to juggle hybrid learning models, gaps in instruction, and social distancing. In fact, all the research that has been done to chart the effects of the pandemic on mental health consistently points to sharp increases in anxiety and depression among teens between 2020 and now. [1]
Beyond that, thanks to social media and the 24/7 news cycle, today’s teens are generally exposed to more collective traumas worldwide. School shootings have become tragically common, and the divisive political landscape of today has caused many teens to wonder what their future holds. On a more individual scale, social media has perpetuated a comparison culture that makes many adolescents and teens feel inadequate when compared to their peers.
A lot of these kids are looking for an outlet—a place they can come to just be and not worry about the pressures of getting into a good college, fitting in socially, and making their parents proud. Counseling can be a great resource on this journey, facilitating a strong, trusted therapeutic connection that can meaningfully guide teens in making healthy decisions and developing essential lifelong skills.
Counseling For Teens Through Jessica Bolden Psychotherapy Group
Our creative approach in teen counseling stimulates new ways of thinking among our clients, allowing them to replace negative, distorted thinking patterns with a healthy, realistic mindset.
Therapy offers teens of all backgrounds a chance to untangle the dense web of conflicting feelings and emotions. As a therapist works to explore how certain experiences have shaped their teen client’s view of themselves and the world around them, a creative, individualized treatment plan can be developed to target specific concerns, issues, and mental health symptoms. By modeling positive, pro-social behaviors, a teen therapist can be the gateway to a happier, healthier adolescence.
What To Expect
One simple tool we use in teen counseling is validation. We have seen how much progress can be made when teens feel genuinely heard and understood in therapy. As we get to know your teen better, we will work to legitimize their feelings while also offering less distorted, catastrophic, and more evolved ways of thinking. Through this experience, teens are likely to understand that emotions and obstacles are temporary, paving the way toward a more hopeful future.
Another aspect of the counseling process is skills building. In teaching your teen mindfulness, our goal is to get our clients to a place where they are more aware and less activated. As they anticipate moments of tension, anxiety, or distress, clients will be offered concrete strategies for calming the nervous system. Once these skills are in place, we will work on interpersonal, social, and communication skills that will help our teen clients identify and assert their needs in appropriate, manageable ways.
“This, too, shall pass” is the ultimate motto of teen therapy. We know that the pain and strife your teen is experiencing right now has left you feeling frustrated and unprepared, but we also know that the challenges that seem too big to overcome now will soon feel like a blip in the distance. Through counseling, your teen can experience the support of someone who truly relates to them, whose only agenda is to get them to a place where they feel comfortable and empowered to be themselves unapologetically. There is plenty of time for teens to figure out who they are and where they want to go—and therapy is the first step in the process of self-actualization.
Common Concerns Teens Have When Considering Therapy...
I’m worried that you will tell my parents what we discuss in therapy.
Even if you’re a teen minor, you’re still entitled to privacy and confidentiality in the treatment process. Therapy sessions are confidential, and we want to do everything we can to ensure that you feel safe and trusting of your therapist.
Because of this, we will make sure that you are fully aware of the limits of confidentiality in counseling; the only time we would ever share what we discuss with your parents is if you disclose to us that someone is hurting you, you are hurting yourself, or you’re thinking about hurting someone else.
What will my parents’ role in the counseling process be, then?
Your parents will be kept in the loop occasionally throughout the counseling process as your therapist finds out more about the progress you’re making at home and at school. Your parents are welcome to share any concerns and ask questions about the treatment process itself, but we will never discuss any specifics with them unless we have your explicit permission to do so.
I’m worried that I am too weird or unlovable for a teen therapist to help me.
Nobody is “too” anything. You have worth and value and absolutely deserve to be loved as your most authentic self. Our therapists are empathetic, nonjudgmental clinicians who were teens once themselves—they can relate to some of the feelings you have.
Therapy is an opportunity to better understand yourself, heal from pain, and improve your mood. Working together with our teen counselors, you can figure out how to pave a way toward your self-worth.
A Hopeful Future Awaits Your Teen
If your teen struggles with anxiety, depression, relationships, communication, or questions about their identity, counseling through Jessica Bolden Psychotherapy Group can equip them with the skills they need to feel confident and thrive. For more information about therapy for teens, contact us.
[1]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37126337/#:~:text=Conclusions%3A%20This%20systematic%20review%20and,from%20relatively%20higher%2Dincome%20backgrounds.
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