Do You Feel Overwhelmed By Everything That’s Expected Of You As A Teen?
Are you feeling the pressures of adolescence—from succeeding in school to getting along with your peers and family?
Have you developed symptoms of anxiety, including perfectionism and negative self-talk?
Do you wish you had an objective, supportive adult in your life that didn’t hold you to such high standards?
As a teen or adolescent, you are at a pivotal moment in your life. No longer a little kid yet not quite an adult, you may be struggling to figure out your place in the world. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by all of the decisions you have to make regarding school, friendships, your family, and the future. Or perhaps you have questions about your identity and purpose. You are at a point in your life where you’ve developed your own goals and values, but you’re just not sure how to reach them yet.
It's tough to feel like you have to please everyone around you while still making time for yourself. And when you’re moving a million miles a minute trying to check every single box, it’s easy for anxious tendencies to form. You may have noticed increased crying spells and irritability or physical symptoms like nausea and insomnia making life uncomfortable. Or maybe your outlook about the world has become hopeless, causing you to wonder if you’re struggling with depression.
Despite what you might think, there are many adults in your life who can offer support and relief in place of high expectations. And in therapy, you can learn to truly embrace and enjoy your time as a teen.
Perhaps You’re The Parent Of A Struggling Teen…
If you’re the parent of a struggling teen, you likely feel concerned about some of their changes in behavior. Seemingly out of nowhere, they’ve become depressed or withdrawn, and the things in their life that used to motivate them are no longer interesting and fulfilling.
Yet, every time you try to intervene, they push back. You may have noticed them becoming angrier and more difficult to live with. And it’s possible that they’re engaging in worrisome behaviors like cutting, restrictive eating, or substance abuse. Changes in their body—including fluctuations in weight and oversleeping—may have caused you to worry about their physical health, and it’s likely they’re experiencing setbacks in their relationships as a result of their mental health.
Your teen probably feels a lot of pressure right now, and they are just trying to figure out how to grow up. Fortunately, counseling is a valuable resource for teens that can provide them with lifelong skills for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and stress management.
Adolescence Is A Time Of Life When Many Mental Health Struggles Form
Anxiety and depression are very common among teens, and these symptoms often reflect the normal psychological changes that happen as teens develop. However, it’s important to seek support before symptoms spiral and become overly difficult to manage.
Unfortunately, today’s teens are caught in a mental health crisis. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a sharp rise in depression and anxiety among teens, and they have had to grapple with threats to their safety and changes in their routines. As life slowly returns to “normal,” it’s hard to make adjustments and navigate the physical, emotional, social, and academic changes taking place.
Parents often feel like they should be able to single-handedly offer the support their child needs or worry that seeking counseling for their teen somehow reflects poorly on their parenting. However, it’s extremely beneficial for teens to have outside support and perspective during this often challenging time of life. Luckily, at Firefly Wellness Counseling, we have a team of empathetic, experienced therapists who are available to help teens thrive.
Teen Therapy Is A Valuable Opportunity To Learn How To Be Authentically You
As a teen, you probably don’t have very many safe spaces in your life where you don’t feel judged, evaluated, or afraid of sharing “bad” behaviors. Yet, therapy can be your chance to grow into who you want to be. By exploring your interests, beliefs, and strengths in a judgment-free zone, you can feel more confident and positive about the choices you want to make.
Our Process
At Firefly Wellness Counseling, therapy is customized to meet our teen clients’ needs. Depending on their preference, we can involve parents in an intake session that will help their therapist better understand presenting struggles and goals for counseling. Parents are also involved in the paperwork process and will be alerted about any concerning disclosures regarding their teen’s behavior.
However, trust is paramount to this process, so we want our teen clients to understand that therapy is their time and not just an opportunity to collect information to tell their parents. As such, appointments including both the teen and their parents can be scheduled as needed.
Our Approach
Throughout therapy, you—the teen—will gain valuable insight into the patterns or behaviors that are keeping you from feeling at your best. This process will help you better understand your emotions so that you can cope and communicate better. And we are confident that once you can identify and work through intense emotions, you’ll be able to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Our practice uses a variety of effective teen counseling methods to help you achieve optimal mental health. One such framework is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which helps teens clarify and live by their values as they learn to accept challenges. And we also use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which reframes negative or self-critical thinking patterns.
Ultimately, however, we understand that the therapeutic relationship you have—the connection to your teen therapist—is the most meaningful element of therapy. By working with someone you can trust to guide you as you explore emotions in a creative and nonjudgmental way, you can learn to manage stress and triggers to live a happier, more fulfilled life.
If you’re a teen feeling troubled by the pressures of life, you are not alone—counseling can help. By learning to work with your emotions instead of against them, you can feel better while also making great strides at home, school, and in your relationships.
Maybe You Have Questions About Teen Therapy…
I don’t want my parents to know what we discuss in therapy.
Although we are obligated to share safety concerns with your parents—including disclosures about intentions to hurt yourself or others—your sessions are entirely confidential. We believe that trust is absolutely crucial to the therapeutic process and that the best way for you to succeed in therapy is to have a strong, trusted relationship with your counselor. We will never share anything with your parents without discussing it with you first.
Teen therapy is too expensive.
Counseling is an investment, but it can yield excellent results. While therapy is most effective when clients commit to ongoing weekly sessions, we will work with your budget on a schedule that makes sense for you. If you can only afford intermittent sessions, let us know, and we will figure out the best way to move forward. In addition, we offer reimbursement options for clients with insurance. Contact us to find out more.
As a busy teen with lots of obligations, I don’t have time for counseling.
We understand that you have many commitments, and that the idea of therapy might feel overwhelming for your current schedule. However, learning skills and exploring your emotions in a safe space will ultimately free up the time you’ve spent feeling anxious, depressed, or arguing with your family. Not to mention, we offer teen therapy sessions online if coming into the office is too time-consuming.
Learn Lifelong Skills That Can Help You Feel Happier
If you’re a struggling teen or the parent of a teen who is troubled by their change in behaviors, counseling is an effective way to explore and process emotions. To schedule a free, 10-minute phone consultation with one of our teen therapists, head over to our Book Now link or contact us.