Teen Therapy
Teen Therapy Without Medication
Do you want your teen to have the tools to be healthy and resilient? The teen years are a time when your child’s physical, mental, emotional and social life change rapidly.
The rapid changes of adolescent life can be confusing and emotionally intense for your teen and you – the parents.
We offer teen therapy to help teens sort things out in a supportive environment where they can learn how to effectively solve problems, deal with feelings and relationships with their peers, parents and other adults.
At the Holistic Psychotherapy Center We Help Teens and Their Families
Teens can get into clashes with parents and teachers for many reasons. Overwhelming stress and not knowing how to deal with pressure can result in over reaction and behavior problems, depression and anxiety. In therapy we counsel teens on how to deal with stress and emotions effectively and how to approach problem solving successfully.
Teen Depression
Approximately 1 in 5 teens get clinically depressed each year. Sure, everybody feels sad now and then. But if your teen is sad a lot, struggles in school, does not get along with family and friends, spends too much time on his/her own or on social media – these can be signs of depression. Teens can express their depression through hostile, aggressive, risk-taking behaviors. Such behaviors only lead to more problems, deeper levels of depression and clashes with friends, family, law enforcement or school officials.
Teenage Anxiety and panic attacks
Things like tests, meeting new people, speaking in public, going on a date, and competing in sports can make a teen feel temporarily apprehensive. A teen who suffers from recurrent anxiety can experience difficulties functioning well in different situations and, tend to avoid stressful situations. When anxiety is untreated it snowballs into debilitating panic attacks.
Therapy can provide a safe place for teens to open up about their anxiety, learn healthy ways to deal with stress and dramatically improve confidence and performance in school and relationships with family and friends.
Teen Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors
Teens who struggle with obsessive-compulsive behaviors suffer from recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or rituals (compulsions), which they cannot control. Often it is accompanied with anxiety. Rituals like hand-washing, counting, hair pulling and nail biting are common. Left untreated, obsessions and rituals can consume a large part of their life and affect mood, relationships and general functioning.
Bullying
When a teen is being picked-on repeatedly by others physically or verbally (including mean texting) it is bullying. It is a serious matter that, if ignored, can have bad consequences. It is not uncommon for a teen to hide the fact that they are bullied out of fear, shame and hopelessness. Parents and peers can feel helpless and ineffective in helping too. In therapy we help to empower the bullied teen and enlist the support of family, friends and school authorities to stop the bullying.
Self-Destructive Behaviors/Suicide Ideation
When teens become moody they can also be irrational and impulsive. Anger and resentment combined with intense guilt can lead to impulsive, self-destructive acts. Teens contemplate suicide when they are depressed and don’t see a way out. Therapy can have a dramatic impact on a troubled teen. It can put them back on track, give them support, direction and renewed hope for a happier, productive life.
Teen Anger Management
Teens (and adults, too!) can explode, yell and curse, throw things and slam doors when they have trouble managing their anger effectively. Oher teens turn their anger inwards, becoming hostile and depressed. In more extreme cases, unresolved angry feelings can lead to violence directed at others or towards the self. In therapy we teach anger management skills for teens and help them recognize anger triggers. We teach safe and effective ways to release anger and healthy ways to communicate feelings and needs.
Peer Pressure
Being popular and fitting in with peers is very important for a teenager. Whether it is pressure to conform to a group norm or pressure to act a certain way, it can affect teen’s behavior and judgment very strongly. Teens who struggle with issues of self-esteem or troubled life, have a harder time resisting negative peer pressure. In teen therapy we teach teens how to become assertive, stand their ground and develop positive self-esteem and personal goals.
Nervous Tics
Symptoms like repetitive eye blinking, squinting, wrinkling of the nose, twitches around the mouth, neck and shoulders can be stress related. Living with nervous tic can be embracing and can trigger insecurity and self-esteem issues. Teen Therapy can help the teen release unexpressed stress and eliminate the nervous tics.
Tobacco, Drugs & Alcohol Abuse and Addiction
Teens who are depressed or have family history of substance abuse or feel like they don’t fit in are at higher risk for developing tobacco, alcohol and drug problems. A growing trend among teens is abusing prescription drugs. In teen therapy we can evaluate your teen’s substance abuse risk and provide appropriate treatment and early intervention.
Trauma & PTSD
When a teen experiences physical and/or emotional trauma, it can overwhelm their system and produce traumatic reactions. Common signs of trauma can be: withdrawal, anger, clinging, depression, anxiety, emotional numbness, nightmares, flashbacks, and problems with family and peers. If, after 3 months past the trauma, a teen is still showing signs of distress it is important to evaluate their trauma. We provide specialized trauma therapy to help the teen process and recover from trauma.
Self-esteem and confidence
Teens who experience self-doubt, fear of failure, perfectionism and worry too much about appearance, tend to have low self-esteem and lack of confidence. In therapy we work with the teen on building self-worth and confidence.
Parenting teens
As kids enter adolescence they start to separate from mom and dad and seek their independence. They can become argumentative, dramatic and pick battles with you to get their way. Friends and social activities become very important and they may pull away from family. Parents need to learn to navigate through these changes and stay connected to their teen. In therapy we teach parents how to communicate with their teen in ways that support cooperation, mutual respect and family connection.