Is your teen unusually withdrawn and acting out of character?
Have you noticed a change in your teen’s behavior? Are they resistant and uncooperative? Do they neglect necessary activities like homework, mealtimes, or chores? Does it feel like their actions drastically interfere with your family’s life?
Perhaps they’ve begun staying out late and indulging in risky behaviours like shoplifting, substance abuse, or skipping school. Maybe the pressures of performance in school or extracurricular activities cause them to feel anxious and stressed. Or it could be that they are struggling to feel socially accepted because of low-self worth or negative peer interactions. In the face of all these stressors, you probably wish you had extra support with your parenting.
Growing up isn’t easy
Having a teenager can be challenging. From hormonal changes to peer pressure, there are many hurdles that they must learn to overcome.
Your teen may be enduring emotional outbursts, isolation, irritability, loss of appetite, anxiety, or depression. Perhaps they are self-harming or experiencing suicidal ideation. They may refuse to talk to you about what they’re going through, leaving you unsure of how to help. As a result, you might feel like you’re failing as a parent.
If your teen is neurodivergent, they may be struggling to navigate a world that isn’t accepting of their differences. Their teachers, coaches, and peers might not “get” them, making them feel isolated and left out.
You just want your child to experience the best life possible. We’re glad you’re here. At Boomerang Counselling Centre, our skilled therapists can help your teen feel hopeful for the future and teach them to practice self-acceptance and self-compassion.
Nearly everyone faces challenges during their teenage years
It is completely normal for teenagers to feel anxious and depressed at some time or another. The teenage years come with various changes that are hard to keep up with. Many teens are figuring out who they are and trying to find their place in the world.
For teens who are neurodivergent, life is even harder. They often struggle with low self-worth, emotional dysregulation, and defensive and or reactive behaviour. It is common for them to feel misunderstood and confused about where they belong.
A demanding society may lead to teens acting out
Whether it’s responsibilities at home, pressure to keep up in school, or unrealistic expectations from social media, society places so many demands on teens. Parents are also faced with their own demands from society, and this can be stressful.
For those of us who have neurodivergent teens, we understand that they are more advanced in thought, and perception in certain circumstances. They are more emotional, and sensitive, and desperately need attentive parents since the world is not accommodating to them.
Along with meeting the demands of life, many parents need professional support and the right resources so they can properly attend to their child’s developmental needs. Seeking counselling for your teen helps us identify their pain so you can understand it and work with them to overcome it.
Therapy can help your teen experience relief
Getting therapy for your teen is the right choice. As a parent, you want what’s best for your child and want to help them prepare for adulthood. Therapy can give them the coping skills and emotional intelligence to make this time of transition much easier for both of you.
Counselling provides a safe space for teens to be heard, understood, and not interrupted by external narratives. Teens typically speak an entirely different language and feel as though an adult won’t understand their struggles. However, our counsellors are equipped in connecting with them and allowing them to feel validated.
What to expect from teen counselling sessions
During therapy sessions we focus on helping teens establish their voice, understand themselves, and learn new ways to manage their symptoms.
These sessions are not solely focused on your child, but on you, too. If your child is comfortable, we sometimes invite parents to sit in during sessions. This is done so you too can understand your teenager’s needs and learn how you can be supportive during their therapy journey.
Teen counselling approaches
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Attachment-Based Psychotherapy are the main modalities we use during teen therapy sessions.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) focuses on helping teens develop coping skills to effectively manage their emotions and behaviors, especially in situations where they may feel overwhelmed or distressed. It allows them to validate their own emotional response to a situation and choose an appropriate way to cope with it.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) uses clarification, mindfulness acceptance, and commitment to help teenagers develop self-awareness and the skills they need to navigate the difficulties of adolescence.
ACT can help clients identify values and goals that are important and align with their personal beliefs. It encourages teens to act in a way that’s in line with their value goals even when it’s difficult. It also gives them mindfulness exercises that they can use to become more self-aware and reduce negative thoughts and emotions.
Attachment-Based Psychotherapy helps teens identify and deal with patterns of attachment that can be causing challenges in their emotional well-being. Exploration of Parent-Child Relationships, Building Secure Attachments, and Confronting Trauma are some of the elements used in this modality.
All of the methods listed above can help teens enhance their relationships, increase emotional responsiveness, process their experiences, and incorporate adaptive coping methods that will significantly improve their quality of life.
Regardless of the modality used, our ultimate goal in therapy for your teen is to help them live an empowered, fulfilling life.
Perhaps you are considering Teen Counselling but still have some concerns…
How many sessions will this take?
For a teen to feel completely heard, seen, and understood, all while establishing a solid sense of self through the therapeutic rapport, it can take a minimum of four sessions. These sessions can be weekly, or bi-weekly depending on what timing works best with your family.
If your teen seems unwilling to participate in therapy, we’re happy to give them an opportunity to ask questions and get more comfortable with the process. In our experience, if we can get your teen to agree to just one session with a counselor, they are likely to see the benefit of therapy and want to continue.
Is the parent required to attend sessions?
This depends on the teen and their unique situation. If your teen does not want you in the session, then it will just be the teen with the clinician. If they would like you in the session, then we are open to having you join.
Depending on your teen’s needs and comfort level, we will involve you in sessions when necessary. And regardless, we will check in with you throughout the course of therapy to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Can you help my teen?
We will do our best! Each teen’s situation is unique. Boomerang Counselling Centre has an amazing team of clinicians dedicated to the social/emotional well-being of your teen. We will do our best to support them and help them feel much better from the inside out.
Your teen can be happy again
If you are tired of seeing your teen in pain and moody, or withdrawn from the family or the rest of the world, therapy with Boomerang Counselling Center offers you the opportunity to work through the grieving process and feel more comfortable within yourself.
To get started, please book a free, 20-minute consultation or call us at (778) 836-4772 for more details.
Therapists specializing in Teen Therapy
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