Are you feeling helpless with your teenager?
Are you experiencing the heartbreak of not knowing what steps to take with your teen? Does your teen seem distant and unreachable? Are you aching as you watch your child struggle with friends, school, purpose, or family relationships? Are you living with the worry that your adolescent might have depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, trauma, or some other life-disrupting struggle?
Parenting in today’s world is unprecedented. Your teenager is facing pressures you and I never dealt with. There is social media, aspects of school being online, pressures around college, and the confusion they face as they develop an identity of their own. Your teen has a million decisions to make on the path to adulthood. They are frequently overwhelmed to the point where they shut down or accept influence from any internet social group that seems welcoming.
At Teen Therapy OC our counselors strive to help you establish a framework for your teenager to safely navigate the challenges and trials they face. We work with your teenager as they solidify the character necessary to become a thriving adult and encourage them to be part of a healthy social group. Our aim is for your teen to have restored joy and purpose in life.
Adolescents face a lot of struggles:
While the teenage years can be great fun, they are not easy for many. Your teen might be challenged with social awkwardness, family problems, choosing a path after high school, and starting to have adult emotions. Many teens are having a difficult time with too much screen time, not knowing how to develop in-person friends, idolizing social media icons, and thinking carefully about online content. Your teenager might have to face grief and loss, fight through depression and anxiety, or have trauma.
Your teen’s brain is still developing. They often lack the tools to effectively manage their intense emotions. Having someone to talk to can make this easier.
Teens have a lot to deal with these days:
There is pressure at school. A large number of teens come from divorced homes. They face peer influence to try things they might not be comfortable with. Teenagers also struggle with issues in friendships and dating relationships. It is hard for a teenager to regulate their emotional reactions to these challenges, which is when counseling is helpful.
It can be a relief to have a counselor support you, your teenager, and your family as everyone works together to improve family relationships and smooth your teen’s road to restored hope and joy.
Associated behaviors:
Sometimes these issues your teen is fighting can lead to behaviors that feel frightening. At other times your teen’s behavior will make you frustrated, angry, and hopeless. Your teen might express irritability. They might feel lonely, or anxious. They may become angry or even rageful. It is possible to see a drop in grades. It is not unusual for these emotions to escalate into more severe problems such as cutting and self-injury, experimentation, promiscuity, or withdrawal into an online world.
If you notice your teen struggling, you might be feeling helpless, hopeless, frustrated and worried. Try to remember, there is hope.