Adolescent Counselling And Psychotherapy
Being a teenager can be hard. Not only do teenagers face huge physical changes, but they experience a surge of reproductive and stress hormones, significant shifts to their body’s sleep cycles, and major changes in how their brains process emotions. On top of these physical changes, many are also navigating:
- New friendships and relationships
- The stresses of school life
- A quest for independence and sense of identity
- Drug and alcohol pressures
- Conditions such as autism, ADHD or learning difficulties
- Impacts of the internet and social media
- And much more
With so much on their plates, it’s easy to understand why so many teenagers are struggling with more mental, emotional, and behavioural challenges than ever before. Prior to Covid-19, 1 in 5 adolescents suffered from depression or anxiety, and this number has doubled over the course of the pandemic. Many mental health concerns can develop in adolescence, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, schizophrenia, drug or alcohol abuse, self-harm or suicide, and family relationship issues.
As a parent, it can be daunting to face the challenges that your child is struggling with, and hard to understand how to help them to feel safe, stable and secure. We believe that no matter the concern, working alongside an experienced psychologist can help make the challenges your teenager is facing a lot more manageable, and equip them with tools to problem-solve with resilience for years to come.
What Are Some Signs My Child Should See A Psychologist?
If you notice any of the following in your teenager, it may be an indication that they could benefit from seeing a psychologist:
- Regularly appearing sad, hopeless, worried, fearful or anxious
- Having difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Talking about death or expressing suicidal thoughts
- Talking about harming themselves or others, or engaging in self-harm behaviours
- Abusing alcohol or drugs
- A sudden decline in academic performance at school
- A loss of interest in activities or hobbies they once enjoyed
- Concerning sexual behaviours
- Eating or sleeping a lot more or less than usual
- Withdrawing from family and friends
- Loss of self-esteem
- Increase in anger, aggressive behaviour, or extreme emotions
- Running away from home
- Participating in illegal activities
How Can A Psychologist Help My Teenager?
Psychologists can support your teenager through any difficulty they may be facing with empathy and validation, and through seeking to understand the world through their lens. They can help teenagers to discover the root cause of their concerts, and empower them with hope and practical tools to cope with specific challenges, adapt unhelpful behaviours, problem-solve, and strengthen family bonds and attachments. Our psychologists use a personalised treatment approach based on a wide range of therapies to best support your teenager.
Attachment Based Family Therapy
Attachment Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is frequently used to support adolescents and their families. It's based on the knowledge that the family is the secure base for a child’s development, where children learn about themselves, how to trust people, and how to manage their emotions. ABFT is an evidence-based approach that focuses on building empathy and authentic connections within the parent-child relationship, and repairs any negative behaviours so that teenagers see their parents as safe, caring, and protective, and feel able to turn to their parents for support, and be more open and honest with them.
ABFT is very effective. Research has found that 81 percent of adolescents no longer met the criteria for major depressive disorder after participating in ABFT, and 87 percent continued to not meet criteria six months after treatment ended. ABFT can also help adolescents to have decreased feelings of hopelessness, a lower incidence of suicidal ideation, and an increased attachment to their mother.
We are dedicated to supporting your adolescent with a personalised treatment plan that works for them and builds a strong foundation for their mental health. To make an appointment with one of our experienced psychologists today, contact us here.
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