Adolescents today are facing a barrage of increasing challenges.   The daily stressors of academics, peer groups, extracurricular activities, and relationships inside and outside the home have most adolescents overwhelmed.   This can lead to teens experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression which can manifest as - school avoidance, isolation, anger, oppositional behaviors, low self-confidence, self-harming, risky behaviors, and even thoughts and acts of suicide.  

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I have worked primarily with teenagers for 15 years in a variety of environments.  Within the context of therapy, I work alongside my adolescent clients to help "slow down" their internal world to make better sense of their responses and reactions.  Through a strong therapeutic alliance, teens are able to learn strategies to better manage daily stressors and emotions and make sense of the world around them.  

 

My adolescent clients also work on improving communication with the adults in their lives.  Parents will not be kept completely "in the dark" about their child's progress in therapy.  Often, we will work as a team to be sure that the skills learned in therapy can be generalized to home and school.  In these moments, the student becomes the teacher and communicates to their parents what they have learned and how their parents can support them.  I also work solely with parents in coaching sessions to help you better understand your child and teach supportive parenting skills.  

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Throughout adolescence, the individual is striving for more independence, and yet struggling with the responsibility of autonomy.  The overall arching goal is to help these young people better understand themselves and their values in order to safely navigate the world.  

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Contact me today to discuss your teenager's needs. 

435-565-1899

amandac@dayacounseling.com