Teen Counseling
The Counseling Place at Lone Tree offers an array of services to meet the needs of teenagers.
"Little Kids grow up discovering the world that's shown to them & then when you become a teenager, it kind of shrinks a little bit. I think when you get past that point, one of the important things is that you see there is more to the world than yourself."
The Counseling Place at Lone Tree offers an array of services to meet the needs of teenagers. As teens begin to experience both increased responsibility and freedom outside of the home, most adolescents experience difficulty – and that's when a supportive and honest relationship with a counselor can make the difference. While many parents feel frustrated when their children don't respond to sound advice, many times a counselor is able to connect with a similar message because they're outside of the family unit.
Difficult School Adjustment
Between 6th and 9th grade, most teenagers move from a school they've become comfortable with, move quickly through middle school, and enter an intimidating high school environment. With three different environments in such a short period of time, it's not surprising that teenagers struggle to feel confident and a sense of belonging. During this time, friendships change, gossip begins, and teens increasingly compare themselves to one another. Working with a therapist can help your teenager move through these multiple transitions with a greater sense of ease, increasing their level of confidence, and it provides a stable support system in the face of changing environments and friendships.
Dealing with Bullying
In recent years there has been an increased level of awareness regarding bullying, and while school programs can be helpful, many teens feel unequipped to deal with being bullied and may go silent regarding the issue. While involving adults is an important step in addressing bullying, it's equally important that teenagers learn skills to manage their difficult peers – skills they can use throughout the course of their lives. Working with a therapist at The Counseling Place at Lone Tree, your teen can learn skills to avoid being target of bullying, learn social skills that lead to empowerment and safety, and learn skills to choose which peer-messages to internalize.
Drugs and Alcohol
As teenagers explore the limits of their increased freedom, it's not uncommon for teenagers to begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol. With the legalization of marijuana, some parents have found that encouraging abstinence or moderation has become increasingly difficult. Current research regarding teenage drug and alcohol use suggests that teenagers are at an increased risk for diminished brain development because the teenage brain is more pliable during these formative years. Working with a counselor, your teen will have the opportunity to hear about the impact of drugs and alcohol from a third party, explore underlying reasons for why they have chosen to use substances, and find their own motivations to make positive choices regarding drugs and alcohol.
Mood Regulation
The teenage years already consist of hormonal changes that can lead to moodiness and irritability, but it's also common for teenagers to experience symptoms of both depression and anxiety. Whether there's a history of depression and anxiety in the family, or if your teen is struggling to adjust to the demands of school and friends, working with a therapist can help your teenager learn about their symptoms – and more importantly – learn skills that can help elevate their mood and diminish their stress. While The Counseling Place at Lone Tree isn't opposed to psychiatric medication when appropriate, our therapists use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Solution Focused Interventions to address your teenager's needs.
Social Media
While social media can create problems for a number of reasons, chief among them is that social platforms create unsupervised digital spaces that can be entered from the privacy of a teenager's bedroom. In the past, teens had to sneak out at night to meet up with their peers, but now they only need to close their bedroom door. Whether your teenager is struggling with social media because it has led to unhealthy habits, cyber bullying, or if their device has become an escape from daily life, working with a therapist can help your child recreate healthy habits with social media. The therapists at The Counseling Place at Lone Tree can help educate your teen regarding the risks surrounding social media, and further help your teen find their own reasons for engaging with social media responsibly.
Recovering from Traumatic Experiences
If your teenager has survived a school shooting, been through a difficult divorce, or suffered physical or sexual abuse, you've probably witnessed your teen experience unexplainable anxiety, difficulty sleeping, a change in mood, and a general sense of being unsafe. The therapists at The Counseling Place at Lone Tree are trained in the most current trauma therapies. Using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), a therapist can help your teen reduce invasive thoughts, diminish feelings of discomfort, and help your teen challenge internalized beliefs about themselves that have resulted from their traumatic experiences. Teenagers who have been through EMDR have reported an increased level of calmness, increased feelings of safety, and increased confidence in their ability to engage in life.
Benefits
Trauma recovery with EMDR
Our Therapists Who Specialize in Teen Counseling
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I know what my teen discusses?
Confidentiality is important for teens. Your therapist will share safety concerns but otherwise maintains your teen's privacy.
How do I know if my teen needs therapy?
Signs include withdrawal, mood changes, declining grades, changes in sleep or appetite, or expressing hopelessness.
What ages do you consider 'teen'?
We typically work with teens ages 13-18, though this can be flexible based on maturity and needs.
Do you use medication?
While The Counseling Place isn't opposed to psychiatric medication when appropriate, our therapists primarily use CBT, DBT, and Solution Focused Interventions.
Ready to get started?
Take the first step toward healing and growth today.