Does your child have trouble dealing with their emotions? Is their behavior sometimes disruptive to your home life? Have they experienced sudden loss or trauma?

As they grow, children and adolescents develop social skills and emotional intelligence. This awareness helps them to develop into healthy, happy, and successful individuals. But some children have trouble processing their emotions and this often leads to behavior that negatively impacts their school life, home life, and overall well-being.

Effective Forms of Therapy for Children and Adolescents

Therapy offers children and adolescents a safe space to work through their thoughts and emotions. With the help of a specialized therapist, children can resolve problems, modify behaviors, and make positive and lasting changes.

The following are a few different types of psychotherapy available to children and families. Each offers unique approaches and techniques to bring about positive outcomes. Sometimes a therapist may choose to use just one specific treatment, and other times he or she may find a combination of various treatments is the best approach.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps children to identify harmful thought patterns. Once a child recognizes that their thoughts create their feelings and moods, they can learn to control themselves and their behavior. Research has shown that CBT is highly effective at treating depression and anxiety as well as helping individuals, including children, deal with traumatic experiences.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT helps children and adolescents process their inner emotions. ACT provides context and understanding to emotions that can seem overwhelming. This allows kids to work through emotions and move forward.

Family Therapy

Family therapy is great for helping families improve communication so they can resolve issues. Sessions can include the entire family, including children, siblings, parents, and grandparents, or just one or two individuals.

Who is Therapy Right for?

At every age, children can be faced with life’s challenges. The following are some of the events and scenarios that can impact a child’s mental health and well-being:

• The death of a loved one
• Bullying
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Domestic violence
• Moving or attending a new school
• Divorce
• Social anxiety
• Depression
• ADHD
• Eating disorders

Therapy is not a quick fix to a child’s behavioral or emotional issues. It is instead a thoughtful and comprehensive process that provides children with insights and skills so that they may become masters of their thoughts and feelings. This, in essence, is how children develop into happy, healthy, and successful adults.

Therapy for Teens 

Is your teen under a lot of stress? Do they not seem as happy as they once did? Are they suffering from an eating disorder? Do you suspect they are using drugs? 

Most of us remember our teenage years as a combination of great fun, burgeoning freedom, and a tremendous amount of stress. During this time our hormone levels are skyrocketing, making us feel emotionally out of control. We also feel a greater need to perform well academically and fit into social circles. All of this stress can take its toll on a teen’s mental health and overall well-being.

Common Life Challenges Among Teens

Teens can often face some serious life challenges that impact their mental health and well-being. 

• Loss - Loss can come in the form of a death of a loved one, including a pet, and it can also come in the form of parental separation or divorce. A loss also happens when a family moves to a new location and the teen must go to a new school.
• Stress - A little stress is normal in life and can even be motivating. But too much stress can cause burnout at any age. Many teens face tremendous amounts of stress to do well in school, hold down a job, and be accepted by their peers.
• Violence - Teens that are bullied at school or at home suffer, and are often alone. If not dealt with, the aftermath of violence can result in PTSD symptoms.

This is not an exhaustive list of reasons why a teen may want to speak with a therapist by any means. If you think your teen could benefit from therapy, please reach out to me. 

What Are Some of the Best Types of Therapy for Teens?

There are three general types of therapy for teens experiencing mental health issues: 

Individual Therapy

In these private, one-on-one sessions, a therapist will typically use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help the teen make a connection between their thoughts and feelings, as well as understand how these impact their behavior. 

Group Therapy

Group therapy can be very effective because it allows teens to see how their peers handle their problems. Most groups have five to seven teens and one leader who will ask questions and guide the conversation. 

Family Therapy

In this scenario, the teen would go to therapy with their parent(s) and sometimes even with siblings. This style of therapy can be very beneficial as it allows the family to communicate effectively and respectfully. 

Which type of therapy will be best for the teen will be determined by a trained therapist. Often, he or she will use a combination of all three of these types of therapy. 

If your teen is struggling right now and could benefit from therapy, please reach out to me.