Teen Counseling Information for Parents
Your teen’s developmental state of emotion is fragile. Often, when teen depression or anxiety hits, parents are perplexed with what to do. It’s important as a parent, to learn skills alongside your teen to help support them through troubling times. A teen’s brain is still developing a part of the brain called the Prefrontal Cortex. This part of the brain is still developing which prohibits your teen from tapping into vital decision making tools that the matured adult brain has. It’s hard to see that through those behaviors teenagers exhibit and other times it’s apparent.
Remember when you were a teen? Life was a little different, we are sure that you remember challenging times and the not so great advice that you got from your family. This advice seems like more parenting to a teen. Often, therapy helps your teen discuss freely what is going on with them, explore emotions in a safe way, and process difficult emotions, while allowing for increasing growth and development of the Prefrontal Cortex. The therapist becomes a sounding board and a non-judgemental party who can help your teen talk through issues, learn new coping skills, and learn interventions that can be useful at home, with friends and family, and in school to keep them moving forward and true to themselves in the process. Some parents find parent coaching helpful for themselves to understand their own parenting behaviors and how to change them to be more effective in holding a line. Jennifer Head is our parenting coach.
Why is teen counseling information helpful for parents? Often, you can’t do it all, sometimes parents are too close to see the heavy impact on a teen’s experience. If you notice your teen having sudden behavior or defiance that was not present before, for example a drop in school grades, a withdrawal from usual activities, conflict with friends, depressed mood, or worrisome behaviors, less sleeping, or reports from teachers, it might be time to get a professional opinion on potential emotional or mental health related concerns.
If you are experiencing a crisis with your teen, know that their emotions are not to be ignored. Below are a few local resources that can help with crisis. If you are in an emergency situation with your teen, call 911.
Teen Counseling Information for Parents
Metro Crisis Line http://www.metrocrisisservices.org 1-844-493-8255
Teen Depression Information https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/teen-depression/index.shtml
Teen Mental Health http://teenmentalhealth.org/learn/mental-disorders/depression/
