Teen Counseling

Teen years are tough on kids and parents both!

The teen years are a stressful time of life. Your teen is in the process of discovering who they are, and as exciting as this process can be, it often comes with a great deal of uncertainty. Your teen may be questioning their gender and sexuality. They may be unsure what they want to do with their lives.

In the face of all their stressors, perhaps they’re falling behind in school and withdrawing from the activities they normally love. Or maybe your teen is indulging in risky behaviors, slipping into drug or alcohol abuse and making unsafe choices in their sex life.

As hard as these issues may be on your teen, they are equally hard on you. After all, perhaps you feel like you just don’t understand your teenager. As much as you may try to pull answers out of them, it’s as if there’s an invisible barrier in your relationship—they don’t communicate their struggles, which means you don’t know how to help them.

This is why counseling is such a valuable asset for your teen. Self-Care Impact provides a space where they can explore themselves on a deeper level and learn to articulate their feelings more effectively. What’s more, it’s a chance for them to feel happier and healthier as they make developmental progress in life.

Teens Today Face Intense Pressure To Look Attractive, Be Popular, And Succeed In School

Virtually every teen wrestles with mental health issues at some point. This is true even for the high-achievers, the kids who succeed in school and in sports and seem to “have it made.” The teen years are a topsy-turvy, unpredictable time. No one has life figured out at such a young age.

What’s more, our culture only exacerbates the stress teens already deal with. Today’s teens face an insurmountable amount of pressure to do well in school, look attractive, and be popular on social media. In the face of all these stressors, it’s no wonder so many teens are riddled with anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem issues. When they feel like they don’t measure up to our culture’s standard of beauty, intelligence, or athleticism, they spiral down about themselves. They often turn to self-destructive habits and may even self-harm.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that a teen’s brain has not fully developed yet. Their capacity to make positive decisions and evaluate all their options clearly is limited. This is why it’s essential to be patient with your teen and understand that their story is far from complete. They need all the support they can get, and in teen therapy, they have a chance to share their struggles with someone who knows that being a teen is not easy.

Counseling Can Help Your Teen Improve Their Self-Image And Regulate Their Impulses

For most teenagers, being around adults often means being judged or talked down to. Here at Self-Care Impact, your teen won’t have to worry about judgment or condescension. We provide a space for them to be honest about the problems in their life with someone who cares deeply for them and can help them enhance their confidence and problem-solving skills.

During the intake process, we will meet with both you and your teenager together to go over treatment protocol and privacy policies. From there, although we will meet with your teen one-on-one, we can occasionally make room for you or another family member in sessions if appropriate. As important as it is for you to be invested in your teen’s growth, it’s equally important that you respect their privacy. We want to hear your feedback and learn about how your teen is doing in daily life, but everything that they talk about with their therapist is confidential.

In sessions with your teen, we will help them explore what they like about themselves and what they don’t. We know how hard it is for teens to maintain a positive self-image, and that’s why we want your teen to value and appreciate themselves in a deeper way. We also want to help them understand how negative thought patterns and beliefs impact their emotions and behavior. For instance, if they subconsciously believe that they don’t really matter, they might lack self-confidence and withdraw from social activities. By addressing their self-image issues at the root, we can empower them to change their behavior and become more comfortable in their own shoes.

Additionally, we want to help your teenager build their tolerance for frustration and give them skills for regulating their natural impulses. Since a teen’s ability to make good decisions isn’t fully developed yet, it’s easy for them to act impulsively. Relaxation skills such as deep breathing and meditation can help them stay calm and clearheaded when they are tempted to do something rash.

For teens who may be struggling with trauma, we often draw from an approach known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. This method uses a series of gentle stimulation techniques that allow the brain to form new, healthy associations with painful memories. The goal is for your teen to process and resolve the pain of the past so that they can move into the future with greater peace of mind.

Counseling is a chance for your teen to learn valuable lessons and skills that last for the rest of their life. Along the way, our hope is that you will learn how to empathize with them and connect with them on a deeper, more meaningful level.

You may have some questions and concerns about teen counseling…

How is my teen going to be able to be honest?

In the initial intake session, your teen’s therapist will be very thorough with both of you about our confidentiality policies. Because our sessions are private, everything that your teen tells us is protected by HIPAA laws and can’t be disclosed to anyone else (unless your teen gives us permission to otherwise). After all, teenagers are at a time of life when they crave independence and want their space. It’s essential that therapy accommodates those needs so that they feel safe and comfortable expressing themselves.

We tried therapy before and our teen just wasn’t invested.

Ultimately, we will never push your teen to do anything they’re not comfortable with. Therapy happens on their terms. That said, the most important part of counseling is building a relationship. To make that connection, we like to get creative. If your teenager enjoys visual art, music, or another hobby or activity, we can incorporate it into their treatment plan. This way, they don’t feel pressured to talk about deep subjects right away. By meeting your teen on their own level and customizing therapy so that it suits their interests and goals, we are confident that they will come to thrive here.

My teen doesn’t have time for counseling—they’re in too many extracurricular activities.

It’s good for your teen to be active and involved in a wide array of activities, but they still need time for reflection in life. What’s more, being involved in too many extracurricular activities could be contributing to their stress. This is why it’s important for you and your teen to prioritize their mental health. They will have to work through their challenges in life at some point, and it’s healthier to work through them while they’re still young.

We can provide help for your teen in the Denver area

Whether your teen is dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma, or defiant and out-of-control behavior, counseling can empower them to work through their challenges and learn lifelong skills. To get started, you can email us, use the contact page, or call 720-551-4553 for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.