Counseling for Teen Depression Can Restore Hope, Energy, Joy, and Connection.

Do You Fear Your Teen is Experiencing Adolescent Depression?

Is your teenager seemingly unreachable?  Has your teen withdrawn?  When your teen does interact, is their mood either lifeless and indifferent or strongly irritable?  Has your teenager shown a change in sleep pattern and appetite?  Does your teen voice thoughts of suicide or self-harm?  If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then your child may benefit from depression therapy for teens.

Depression is miserable, and yet, the energy and effort needed to improve the depression is nearly impossible for a person to find. 

Your Teen Seems to Have Lost Interest in Everything:

Your teenager used to get excited about sports, friends, video games, or other hobbies. Now you notice your teen seems indifferent to everything. Even when you can get your teen to participate in fun activities, they don’t enjoy it. They want to hole up in their rooms and be alone.

This is a symptom of depression known as anhedonia. It means a lack of pleasure or interest in things. As a parent, it breaks your heart to see your child like this. You feel helpless to spark the life back into them. The anhedonia part of depression is hard for both teens and families.

Your Teenager is Always in a Bad Mood:

You might find yourself wondering what happened to your bubbly, engaging child. The one you have now is surly and annoyed at everyone. Your teenager isn’t smiling or laughing anymore. Even when your teen knows something is funny, hardly any laughter comes out. Why is this? Depression is a thief. It steals joy and hope.

Your Teen is Preoccupied with Death:

This one is highly concerning. According to UCLA Health, 1 in 5 teenagers consider suicide at some point. This is terrifying for every parent. If you have noticed your teenager talking a lot about death, or if your teen has mentioned suicidal thoughts, it’s time to get help.

What is Teen Depression?

Depression has different diagnostic levels ranging from Persistent Depressive Disorder to Major Depressive Disorder.  It is a state of hopelessness, joylessness, and irritability that is hard for your teen to control.  If your teenager truly has depression, don’t assume they can fix it by changing their attitude.  Clinical depression is a complex combination of thoughts, behaviors, and biological processes in the body and brain.  For instance, Aaron Beck, the founder of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (one of the main types of therapy known to be effective with depression) says that depressed people have a negative view of self, a negative view of the world, and a negative view of the future. 

In other words, your teenager is feeling hopeless about their circumstances, experiencing self-loathing, and does not believe things will ever get better.  The bottom line is that depressed people are in a lot of pain and do not see a way through it, which is why depressed people will frequently engage thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

Therapy for Teen Depression is Helpful:

Depression counseling at Teen Therapy OC focuses on bringing life back into the teens we see. Depression is literally a suppression of the spirit and body. We want your teen to feel returning engery both physically and emotionally.

Because depression is somewhat common, there is a lot of research on how to treat it. Most teens are able to regain interest in things they used to enjoy. They can learn to stop believing negative thoughts that they are not wanted, or the belief many hold that they are a burden. Therapy helps your teen reach back out to friends and family. Therapy can help your teenager rediscover they have purpose, and their life is meaningful.

What to Expect in Teen Depression Counseling Sessions:

Firstly, we conduct a comprehensive assessment.  Many times, symptoms of depression are caused by another underlying problem such as trauma, OCD, severe anxiety, or even a biological condition. Once we determine your teen does in fact suffer from depression, we will educate you and your teenager on the disorder and associated struggles.  From there, we use various clinical techniques (mainly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) to effect small, progressive changes.  Depression is not an easy fix, and it takes time.

While you and your teenager are getting through your teen’s depression, we are gently and lovingly walking alongside your teen.  Negative beliefs are challenged while simultaneously, empathy is expressed for their pain.  We know how much it hurts you to see your child feeling this way.  Let us join you in helping your teenager get back their life.

You May Have Questions and Concerns About Teen Depression Therapy:

What if my teen’s depression makes it hard for them to use the skills they’ve learned in counseling?

Initially we actually expect your teen to struggle with using their new skills. They probably don’t have the energy, or perhaps the negative thinking patterns have them believing it won’t work. Depression therapy for teens seeks to break down the steps into small and manageable bites. Once a little momentum builds, depression starts to slowly improve.

My teen always has a negative outlook on things. Does this mean he or she will never get better?

Not necessarily, but it might be a little bit harder. People have different temperaments by nature. Some people are cautious, which lends itself to considering what might go wrong. This is a self-protective skill that is quite useful when it isn’t running on overdrive. Your TTOC counselor will work with your teen to recognize thinking patterns that have moved from protective to overprotective.

Does my teen need to take depression medication?

Sometimes medication is helpful, but it is not something everyone needs. We will work on other treatments first in most cases. If needed, we can talk about seeking a medication consultation as part of our treatment discussions.

There is Hope for Your Teen to Feel Joyful and Hopeful Again:

Many, many people go through depression and get better. Your teen can get back on the path to a life with purpose, connection, and happiness once again. To get started, email us through the Contact Page, or call us at 949-394-0607.

Therapists on Staff Who Specialize in Teen Depression Counseling:

• Diana Hong
• Ashley Saucedo
• Seth Heatwole

To schedule an appointment with a therapist who specializes in adolescent depression therapy, call 949-394-0607.