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  • Adolescent Therapy

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    Does My Teenager Need Counseling and Therapy?

    Many parents can sense that something is ‘not right’ with their teenager.  They notice that their child is more withdrawn, irritable, and unmotivated.  How do you know when its time to get help for your teenager? Admittedly, it is hard to know when your teen is just going through normal adolescent changes or when they need more help than a parent can give.

    Here are a few signs to look out for that may mean they need a little extra help :

    • Home life is becoming very difficult: If you find yourself walking on eggshells when your teen is home, and nothing you do really works, it might be time for an outside intervention. Everyone deserves peace in their home, and if you have exhausted all your resources, it’s okay to get help.
    • Not getting enough sleep: Teens need plenty of sleep to keep up with their growing bodies and minds. There are many reasons why a teen might not be getting enough sleep, such as racing thoughts, internet use or addiction, anxiety, or drug abuse. Lack of sleep can be an indicator of more serious issues.
    • Acting out at school, work, or home: Your child’s personality seems to have changed overnight. There is a noticeable increase of arguing, avoiding, yelling, provoking, and maybe even physical violence, which can indicate a need for psychological help.
    • Anxiety or depression impacting functioning of everyday life: Emotions are a normal, however, if your teen has depression or anxiety and their emotions are keeping them from going to school, socializing, or even taking care of themselves and achieving life goals, it is time to seek professional help.
    • Your teen is using alcohol or drugs: Experimentation with drugs and alcohol may happen occasionally at social events, but when your teen is regularly using substances, this could be a sign of addiction or other underlying problems that your teen is struggling with.
    • Your teen is hurting themselves or others or making threats to do so:  Self-harm and violence are a message that teens may be feeling pain, hurt, helplessness, or are overwhelmed by their emotions or life situations, and don’t know what else to do.