Teen Therapist
Does your teen feel like a stranger in your house?
Does your teen have unexplained anxiety, social fears or difficulty making decisions?
Is your teen sad for no known reason and having trouble talking to you about it?
Do you feel like you can’t help your teen because he or she won’t talk to you?
Teens are facing a new emotional landscape
Teens are facing challenges never seen by earlier generations, leaving many teens to feel anxious and depressed. While they are pressured to excel academically, many teens report feeling self-doubt and fears about their ability to succeed. These doubts can lead to shame and embarrassment, physical symptoms, loss of sleep and appetite, and conflicts with parents.
As teens face mounting stress to succeed in society, navigate complex peer relationships, and develop their own identities, it’s perfectly normal for them to develop stress and anxiety. Your teen can also develop effective coping skills and a strong sense of self-confidence with the right support.
We know how to talk to teens
Parents often call asking what we will do if their teen doesn’t want to talk. It’s so common for parents to make every effort to get their teen to open up, only to be met with blank stares and shoulder shrugs. Talking to parents about these issues is challenging. As teens start to separate from their parents and develop independence, it’s natural for them to not want to share their inner world with their parents. However, this isn’t comforting when a parent sees their child struggling and can’t help.
We’ve been providing therapy for teens for many years. We understand their fears about sharing with parents, their difficulty with peers, their challenges in schools. Because our teen therapists are not the parents, we have an advantage in getting your teen to open up. Additionally, teens are great at picking up on authenticity from adults. We generally want to help your teen feel good about themselves and they usually can sense that when they get to know their therapist.
We help your teen build confidence
When we work with teens, we really emphasize getting to know them individually and understanding their story. By building a strong relationship between the teen and the teen therapist, we can get to work on finding strategies that will decrease anxiety and build confidence for your very unique child.
Anxiety in teens is often born from fears around being able to manage independently and trust one’s own judgment. Despite a history of talking back or arguing with parents, many teens feel much less confident out in the world. They can become worn out from tolerating stress all day and return home irritable, cranky and unpleasant to be around. By building a sense of competency out in the world, your teen can come home more relaxed and ready to interact with family.
Teen therapy starts new conversations
Schools are great at teaching language arts and arithmetic, but often leave teens with few skills to understand their own thoughts and feelings. A teen therapist can provide education in understanding the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. As your teen develops a better understanding of their own feelings, anxiety triggers, and unconscious reactions, the teen therapist can help your child develop new skills to manage emotions.
A skilled teen therapist will open your teen’s eyes to new ways of looking at their deepest thoughts and feelings. Not only can they help your teen better understand their own inner world, a teen therapist can help your teen interact in a way that makes them feel confident and effective with friends, teachers, and coaches. Starting new conversations in therapy with teens leads to deeper conversations at home with parents. It is our hope that teen therapy will help you have a better relationship with your child.
I'm not sure my teen will go to therapy...
Many parents worry that the idea of therapy will be unpleasant for their teen. However, we find that many teens are now attending therapy and talking about it with their friends. Unlike past generations, today’s generation of teens is interested in therapy for growth and self-discovery. There is less stigma associated with therapy.
We also know that teens aren’t going to walk into the room and start talking right away. We’re comfortable with the awkward moments and with helping your teen find ways to open up. When parents or teens tell us they are hesitant to try therapy for teens, we generally suggest trying one or two sessions. There is no commitment to continue and your child can determine whether they think therapy can be helpful. We also really encourage teens to find a therapist they are comfortable with and are happy to make a referral if your teen doesn’t feel one of our teen therapists is a good match.
If you’re still unsure or want to learn more, start with a free 15 minute phone consultation which you can schedule online, via phone or by e-mail. Our sessions are available online in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, in-person in our Morris County (Succasunna) and Sussex County (Newton) offices, or a hybrid of both options! We trust that you’ll be glad you invested your time and money into your family.
My teen says they don't know why they're anxious
We get it! So many teens feel anxious or even have panic attacks without knowing the reason why. Therapy is a powerful tool to better understand yourself and your teen. We can help your teen figure out what triggers anxiety and how to tolerate distress. We can provide your teen with the tools needed to understand themselves and tackle challenges with confidence.
Call us today for teen therapy with a seasoned expert
Don’t settle for just any therapist for your teen. Look for a teen therapist with years of experience working with this unique and important stage of development. If your teen leaves adolescence feeling confident and competent, they can succeed at any endeavor!
Don’t wait until your teen is in crisis to seek help. In just a few sessions, we believe your teen can better understand themselves and start feeling better. Contact us today for your free 15 minute phone consultation. Share your pain points and we’ll share how we can help.
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