For Parents: The Ins and Outs of Teen Counseling

Teen counseling may seem to be self-explanatory, but there is so much more than a surface definition of a therapeutic approach that is designed with teens in mind. Teen counseling is characterized by a safe environment where they can better come to grips with how they feel, by understanding and expressing their feelings as well as identifying and solving problems, all through healthy coping mechanisms.

Teen counseling can be effectively received in group therapy or one-on-one therapy sessions. Teens who do experience counseling say that the support they receive during therapy is a significant help.

Knowing when teen counseling is needed.

Teens receive assistance for different aspects of life through counseling, including stress, mental health, life events, and self-discovery. Teen counseling is often used to prevent minor issues from turning into major issues as the child grows up.

There are many cases where only a few therapy sessions are found to bring a significant improvement to a teenager’s general well-being. There are a wide variety of conditions experienced by teenagers that are assisted through a counseling process.

Some conditions helped by teen counseling.

• Anxiety.
• Depression
• Eating disorders.
• ADHD (attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder).
• Problems with behavior.
• Times of grief and sadness.
• Self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or risky behaviors.
• Autism.
• Living with a chronic health condition.
• Discrimination, including cultural or racial discrimination.
• Stress management.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Personality disorders.
• Loneliness.
• Problems with self-awareness, self-esteem, or self-worth.
• Substance use.
• Trauma.
• Processing of parents getting divorced.
• Relationship problems.
• Bullying and other school and social-related issues.

As a parent, you are responsible for the health of your children and if your teen is having suicidal thoughts, talking about ways of committing suicide or the benefits of dying then contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. A counselor there will be able to give you support and assistance. If you or any member of your family are in immediate danger, call 911.

Different types of teen counseling

As in all counseling, there are a variety of types of counseling that your therapist may use. They may combine several styles depending on the issue at hand. Common types of therapy used for teens include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy is regularly used for teens working through anxiety, depression, or trauma. A cognitive behavioral therapist can help teens recognize their harmful thought patterns and displace them with healthy and constructive thoughts.
• Dialectical behavior therapy is a type of therapy that will aid your teenager in taking greater responsibility and discovering healthier ways of coping with conflict and big emotions. Dialectical behavior therapy is regularly used with teens who have borderline personality disorder, who have suicidal thoughts or actions, or those who engage in self-harm like cutting.
• Family therapy is a style that includes one or more family members, These can be parents, siblings, or even grandparents and the goal is to improve communication and support within the family group.
• Group therapy is where several patients come together, and the session is led by the therapist. This approach is often used to assist teens in improving their social skills as well as how to cope in a healthy manner with mental health challenges.
• Interpersonal therapy is often used for those struggling with depression as it focuses on the teen’s relationships and looks to address problems in these relationships as well as revealing how interpersonal events affect our emotions.
• Mentalization-based therapy helps teens who are struggling with their identity and with who they are. It is a long-term psychotherapy that helps the person make sense of their thoughts, beliefs, desires, and emotions and then ties these into how they act and behave. This therapy type focuses on what is going on in the teens’ minds, and the minds of other people, and links this to an understanding of problematic behaviors and ways of dealing with them.

What to consider when choosing a therapist.

There are several important things to keep in mind when choosing a therapist to engage your child with teen counseling. Some of these are:

Experience.

As a parent of a teen, and having been a teen yourself, you know that teens are special. The types of problems they experience and the way these are dealt with are often restricted to their age group.

Registration.

The therapist you pick should be licensed. As with anything there are exceptions, and sometimes a trained religious or drug counselor will not be required to be licensed. It is important to remember that insurance companies will usually only pay for sessions facilitated by a licensed mental health professional.

Approach.

Come to understand the approach used by the therapist and their training. Read more about the various approaches to counseling and therapy and then tailor your decision to the issues that your teen is working through.

Methods used in various types of teen counseling.

Personality and connection: As discussed it is important to recruit a teen counselor who has the relevant experience and qualifications. But also keep in mind that what will keep your teen coming back is the therapist’s manner and the relationship that they form with your teen. This rapport is often seen to be the most important factor in successful teen counseling.

When you pick a teen counselor, it is important to select someone likely to bond with your teen. Remember that as a parent who knows their teen like no other you will have some intuition here, so follow it when making your decision.

A helpful question to start with may be to ask whether your teen is likely to respond better to someone who is direct and does not beat about the bush but are pointed in their conversation, or toward someone who is more encouraging and supportive.

What about a preference between a male or female therapist, or whether they are old or young? Ask yourself what will work better with your teen.

Teen counseling interview questions.

Whether you can meet a potential therapist in person, by email, or via a video call remember that some but not all will hold an initial consultation at no cost to you or at a lower rate so there is an opportunity to meet them and ask the questions that are important to you.

Here is a list of possibly helpful questions that will give you the data and a sense of whether the therapist will work with your teen to encourage the changes they would find beneficial.

• How do you set goals and measure the progress of teen counseling?
• Do you have experience with the specific issue that my teen struggles with?
• How long have you been practicing as a counselor?
• Can you tell me a little more about how you will work with my child?
• What current license do you have?
• Will you involve other family members in the counseling process?
• Are you a member of a professional organization?
• Can you give me an idea of the therapy approach that you use?

Once you have the answers to these questions it is important to then consider how well the therapist described their approach and the way they came across while doing this. As part of your evaluation of the time spent with the counselor, ask yourself the following questions to come up with a grading process:

• Do I feel like the counselor knows what they are talking about?
• Do they communicate sincere empathy for teenagers?
• Did they have the patience to answer my questions to my satisfaction?
• What was the feeling I had when talking to them?

Looking for help with teen counseling.

If you’re looking for additional help with teen counseling and looking for experienced professionals who understand teens and enjoy working with them then why not browse our online counselor directory or contact our office to schedule an appointment? We would be honored to walk with you on this journey.