Growing up can be a difficult task. If you think back to Middle School or High School many of us can remember the challenges of navigating academic and social pressures. During this transition to adulthood the teenage brain is changing so rapidly that “normal” everyday tasks like homework and making plans with friends can become a source of huge distress. This is why teens always seem “dramatic” and have big emotional responses to things that we adults see as routine. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if your teen’s behavior is the normal stress of adolescence or a sign that additional help is needed.

Common Behaviors that Signal Teens may need Additional Support:

• Argumentative behavior
• Getting easily frustrated or often annoyed
• Frequently bored, sad, or disinterested.
• Procrastination or Perfectionism
• Dropping grades
• Difficulty getting started on homework or other tasks
• Refusal to follow directions,help with household chores, complete homework, or turn in assignments
•  Don’t like schedule changes
• Insist on doing things a certain way, or “their way”

If you feel some of these may apply to your teen you may want to read “Teens Anxious or Rebellious”

Many times parents are given the idea that the Teen years are just challenging and the best we can do is “wait it out”. However often teen behaviors can be due to distress or lagging skills which need to be addressed. Getting some professional support can help your teen stay on a healthy developmental track and can bring greater harmony and peace of mind to the whole family.

Benefits of Therapy:

Therapy can help teens:

• Learn to express thoughts and feelings appropriately
• Feel more comfortable asking for help when they have problems or concerns.
• Learn positive ways to cope with stress and frustration
• Learn effective problem solving skills
• Develop healthy decision making skills
• Learn effective ways to deal with school stress such as academic and social pressures
• Provide them with greater self confidence which helps protect them from bullying and peer pressure.
• Help them deal with family changes such as divorce, moving, and gaining new family members.

If you have more questions about how your teen could benefit from therapy please contact me today.

If you would like to know more about me please go to my About Me page.