Therapy for Adolescents

Adolescents are a tricky age to parent, and an even trickier age to experience.  They are seeking independence, but also need support.  They are trying to figure out who they are as people, navigating the social jungle, and trying to keep up with school, sports, and other activities.  Throw in some social media, being in constant contact with the universe and a pandemic, and we have some super stressed out teens and tweens.

Here at The Mental Wellness Center, we work with our adolescent clients to help them identify and reach their goals, while considering the goals of their parents as well.  By creating a safe, confidential space, adolescents will slowly open up and can become willing to consider alternatives to their current ways of coping.  By developing this relationship, our providers are able to address many of the areas that parents present as frustrations or concerns.  Often we hear parents providing some of the same guidance or insight that we will also provide, but due to the need for independence, adolescents can be more receptive to receiving the information from an outside source.

Psychoeducation is a key portion of what we do with adolescents, helping them to understand what might be happening in their brains or to their bodies when they are responding to something in a certain way.  Most adolescents feel empowered by this information and can use it to adjust their behaviors.  They can learn warning signs to manage their emotions prior to them developing in to larger problems and recognize when they need a break or a reset.

Adolescents will learn positive coping strategies to address symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Autism, Trauma and more.  If attachment based interventions are appropriate, they will also be added to coping strategies for tweens, teens and their families.  The first step is providing an appropriate diagnosis, this way we can empower our clients to best address their needs.

Parents are included in therapy by addressing communication issues, providing them with tools to address problem behaviors, and increasing their understanding of their adolescents' diagnosis and interventions.  While we work to respect the privacy of our adolescents, we work to keep the relationship with parents intact, working with our adolescents to increase communication with parents or to identify areas that could be addressed.  Parent coaching and consultation allows parents to process their own experiences and adjust how they respond to problem behaviors.

If you are ready to schedule an appointment for your adolescent please call or email us today at 309-807-5077 or email us at info@TheMentalWellnessCenter.com