Teen Therapy

Concerned About Your Teen’s Transition to Independence? Explore How to Prepare Them for the Next Chapter

Is your teenager grappling with anxiety or depression?

Do they battle with low self-esteem and negative body image?

Are they experiencing a sense of not belonging or fitting in anywhere?

It could be that they feel uneasy around others, finding it challenging to interpret social cues. Alternatively, they might be contending with a lack of motivation, struggling to maintain pace in school. They could be withdrawing from social engagements, neglecting homework, and isolating themselves. Consequently, you may find yourself questioning: Should I be alarmed for my teen? Is this simply a typical hormonal phase, or is it something more?

Navigating Adolescence: Understanding and Managing the Stress of the Teenage Years

In light of widespread social unrest, anxiety and depression among teens are on the rise. Many adolescents are grappling with feelings of isolation and navigating the pervasive uncertainty in our culture. Additionally, they are bombarded with unrealistic standards perpetuated by television and social media, facing pressures to embody ideals of thinness, fashionability, popularity, and, in some cases, wealth. These societal expectations place immense pressure on teens and frequently contribute to struggles with low self-esteem.

While you may hope that your teen’s challenges are temporary and that they will naturally outgrow them, this optimistic perspective may not reflect reality. Often, the mental health issues teens face are not immediately obvious. It can be easy to dismiss anxiety, depression, or OCD as passing phases or typical hormonal fluctuations.

The truth is that identifying the root causes of your teen’s struggles often requires the expertise of a trained professional. At Genesis Counseling, our objective is to uncover the underlying factors contributing to your teen’s stress and provide them with effective coping strategies.

Empowering Your Teen: How Therapy Fosters Independence and Self-Discovery

Let’s face it: there’s probably nothing your teen hates more than being lectured or told how to behave by adults. Their perception of therapy might just be another adult trying to meddle in their affairs. However, our approach is quite the opposite. We offer a safe, nonjudgmental environment where your teen can freely express themselves. It’s a space where they can be heard, not lectured. Our role is simply to provide emotional support and empower your teen to confront their challenges with greater peace of mind.

Our practice has extensive experience counseling LGBTQ+ youth, assisting teens in navigating religious and political issues, and offering support to adolescents from diverse backgrounds. Regardless of what your teen is going through or what their needs are, we won’t dictate their thoughts. Instead, our aim is to help your child discover what empowers them, enabling them to devise their own solutions.

Navigating Teen Counseling: What to Anticipate in Sessions

During the intake process, we typically conduct separate sessions with you and your teenager before bringing you together for a joint session. While your teen will primarily have one-on-one sessions with us thereafter, we encourage your active involvement in your child’s healing journey. While what your teen shares with us remains confidential, we can still provide periodic updates on their progress.

In sessions with your teenager, we focus on facilitating exploration of their identity, enhancing insight and awareness, and imparting new skills for managing anxiety and depression. Moreover, we strive to meet your teenager on their own terms and integrate their interests into therapy. We employ a diverse range of expressive art techniques to help teenagers alleviate anxiety, connect with their emotions, and foster creativity. Whether they derive joy from music, drama, or visual arts, we encourage them to incorporate their hobbies and passions into their treatment plan.

Therapy Can Help Your Teen Become More Independent And Discover Who They Are 

Let’s be honest: there’s probably nothing your teen hates more than having an adult lecture them or tell them how to behave. Their idea of therapy may be just that: yet another adult trying to manage their business. Our approach is just the opposite. We provide a safe, nonjudgmental space for your teen to freely be themselves. This is a place to be heard, not lectured. Our role is simply providing emotional support and empowering your teen to face their challenges with greater peace of mind.  

Our practice has experience counseling LGBT youth, helping teens work through religious and political issues, and providing support for kids from all walks of life. No matter what your teen is going through or what their needs are, we’re not going to tell them what to think. Rather, we want to help your child figure out what empowers them so that they can come up with their own solutions. 

What To Expect In Teen Counseling Sessions 

During the intake process, we will generally meet with you and your teenager separately and then have you come together for a joint session. Although we will meet with your teen in one-on-one sessions from thereon, we encourage you to be an active part of your child’s healing process. What your teen shares with us is confidential, but we can still touch base about your teen’s progress from time to time.  

In sessions with your teen, we will help them explore their identity, increase their insight and awareness, and learn new skills for managing anxiety and depression. What’s more, we want to meet your teenager on their own level and incorporate what they love into therapy. We use a wide array of expressive art techniques to help teenagers reduce anxiety, get in touch with their emotions, and enhance creativity. Whether they find joy in music, drama, or visual arts, they are encouraged to make their hobbies and passions part of their treatment plan.  

Tailoring Your Teenager’s Therapy Plan

The approach we take ultimately varies from teen to teen. For most teens, our therapists rely on an approach called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). At its core, CBT aims to help your teenager recognize how negative thought patterns affect their emotions and actions. For instance, if they’re dealing with negative body-image, CBT can help them identify the harmful beliefs that fuel their low self-esteem, allowing them to develop a healthier outlook on themselves.  

Additionally, our practice prioritizes equipping teens with new social skills. We can help your teen practice active listening, read social cues more effectively, and communicate their feelings more clearly. We’ll teach them to recognize and understand how other people are feeling in different situations, enabling them to gain greater empathy and compassion.  

Therapy is a chance to give your teenager a head-start in life. By expanding their self-awareness and learning to self-regulate their emotions at a young age, they will be more prepared for adulthood. With our guidance and support, therapy can help your teen become more independent, confident, and resilient as they go forward in life. 

You May Have Some Questions About Teenage Therapy… 

What if my teen doesn’t want to talk? 

Here at Genesis Counseling, we are used to teens who don’t want to talk. Thankfully, we can say with assurance that teens love it here and they’re usually surprised at how comfortable they feel. There is no judgment here—we provide an atmosphere of acceptance, compassion, and freedom. What’s more, if your teenager has trouble opening up, they are encouraged to express themselves through art. Art can act as a medium for the feelings they may not want to share.  

What will happen to my relationship with my teen if they go to therapy? 

In helping teens process their experiences and manage their emotions, we generally find that they become more open with their parents, not less. We will teach them to verbalize their feelings more effectively and accurately. This will make it easier for them to communicate with you. 

What if my teenager needs medication? 

Oftentimes, the healing power of therapy alone is enough to help teenagers improve their lives. But if we all feel your teenager could benefit from medication, we would be happy to connect them to a psychiatrist or physician. Nonetheless, we will only do what your teen is comfortable with. It’s important to respect their boundaries and desires regarding treatment.  

Therapy Can Give Your Teen A Head-Start In Life

If you wish your teen had someone to talk to who could meet them on their own level instead of judging them or lecturing them, we would be honored to fill that role. To help your teenager begin their healing journey, you can use our contact form or call 561-408-1098. Right now, we provide both telehealth and in-person teen therapy sessions.