Teen Therapy

Teen therapy includes individual, group, and family counseling designed to help parents, teens, and families overcome obstacles and live happier lives. Teens and families may see counselors regarding a wide variety of issues or obstacles. These may include problems at school, social pressures, problems at home, or internal struggles. Neither parents nor teens should feel ashamed or afraid of seeking counseling; help from an experienced professional is simply a way to resolve conflict and get the support you or your child needs.

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What is Teen Therapy?

Teen therapy is simply counseling sessions tailored to the unique needs of teenagers. Teen therapy can give a young person a neutral third-party to talk to, or a way to express their sadness or anxiety. The counselor may act as a mediator to help families work through conflict. Therapy sessions can also help teens cope with trauma, overwhelming emotions, or disorders. Each session is different, and built around the client’s needs.

How Can Teen Therapy Help?

Adolescence is a physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding time. Teenagers begin to develop a strong sense of self, assert their independence, and grapple with failure and rejection. While their minds and bodies mature, teenagers also face enormous social pressure to fit in and succeed. In the best circumstances, adolescence is a trying time, and tragic or traumatic events can make it even worse. This is where teen therapy comes in.

Teen therapy can help young people struggling with:

Bullying
Divorce
Death or loss
Depression and anxiety
Disabilities or illness
Substance abuse
Abuse
Low self-esteem
Identity
Family conflict

When Should You Seek Therapy?

Everyone endures unpleasant feelings, thoughts, and situations some of the time. However, when these internal or external factors become more than we can handle or know how to cope with, they can cause problems in our lives. For teenagers who are newly experiencing many situations and feelings, and just discovering coping strategies, this can be especially difficult.

Seek therapy if a teen experiences or shows signs of:

Long or unresolved family fighting
Drug or alcohol abuse
Self-harm
Suicidal or homicidal thoughts
Long periods of anger or sadness

Not sleeping or sleeping too much
Not socializing
Repeated truancy or lying
Violence or aggression
Promiscuity

If a family disputes have become constant, if drugs or alcohol have become problematic, or if you are concerned about a teen’s behavior or mental state, a professional can help. A problem doesn’t have to be extreme for a family or individual to seek counseling. A teenager may simply need a confidant, or a family may need a mediator.

Types of Teen Therapy

Though there are methods and techniques that are proven to reduce negative thoughts or behaviors, there is no one approach to solve every problem. Each therapy session and the techniques teens will learn are different. Teen therapy includes individual therapy involving only the teen and the counselor, family therapy with everyone in the household, or group therapy with a counselor and a group of teens in similar situations.

Individual Adolescent Counseling

In many circumstances, it’s helpful for an adolescent to work one-on-one with a counselor or therapist. A therapist acts as a trusted and neutral third party, so the teenager can feel safe and comfortable sharing their feelings and thoughts. This allows them to share things they may feel uncertain about sharing with a friend or family member. This then allows the counselor or therapist to get a full picture of the obstacles that the teenager is dealing with, and help them form a constructive plan to address these things.

Though adolescent counseling is different in many ways from counseling for adults, some strategies will be similar. The therapist may make recommendations and work through strategies that are similar to counseling for adults, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, or other therapy strategies. At times, it may be helpful to discuss these strategies with other family members, so they are aware of the strategies that the adolescent is working on.

Family Adolescent Counseling

Some obstacles a teen is working through require assistance and input from the rest of the family. In these cases, it may be helpful for the family to meet with the counselor with each session, or in a few select sessions. This way, family members can help the child execute strategies that they learn, work through conflicts together, and share their thoughts and feelings together in a safe space. These family sessions will not only help the adolescent with counseling, but also help all family members communicate more effectively.

Child Therapist for Divorce

When parents divorce, it often changes a child’s daily life and also introduces a number of emotional obstacles. Children of all ages may struggle during this transition, but this can be an especially difficult time for teens. During adolescence, children may need more validation and reassurance from caregivers, and this can be difficult to provide when going through divorce. Working with a child therapist for divorce can help to make this transition easier, and help teens make sense of what is going on. If teenagers feel emotionally torn between parents, caught in the middle of conflict, or they’re struggling with feelings of guilt or anxiety, a child therapist specializing in divorce will help them express and work through their feelings in a constructive way.

Teen Therapy Near You

With two counseling centers located in the Greater Detroit Area, you can easily find a location that works for your child and your family. Our counselors will work with your needs and schedule to ensure you can get the right therapy for you and your family. Schedule a consultation and select your preferred location in Bloomfield Hills, MI or Taylor, MI to learn more.