Teen Counseling

Is Your Teen Struggling? We can help!

Is more conflict at home than you want?
Does your teen struggle with relationships?
Is he engaging in scary risk-taking behavior or depression?
Or maybe she is so anxious that you are worried for her happiness and independence?

The teen years are hard for so many. It is a time of change and growing independence. Teens naturally start pulling away from family and put more emphasis on their friends. They are trying to figure out who they are and where they fit in the world. They may rebel in the process, which causes worry, frustration, and tension in family relationships. The teen years are also a time when many teens are taking risks while many other teens are struggling to find their independence. It is difficult as a parent to know when to intervene.

Is it normal teen angst or something more?

We hear this question a lot. Parents aren’t sure if their teen’s struggles are “just teen behavior” or if there is something bigger going on that their teen needs help with. Our take is that if your teen is hurting, it is real hurt, if your teen is anxious, rebelling, or struggling in relationship it is real. If you are worried it is real. If you are concerned about your teen and you are here reading this page, your parental gut is nudging you to get some extra support. There is not one of us who, at one time or another in our lives, couldn’t benefit from some help. It is likely that teen counseling could provide a safe place for your teen to receive support, gain tools, and work through these years with less pain.

How teen counseling can help

At MVP we have teen counselors who specialize in working with this age group. Through teen counseling, your teen can develop a relationship with a counselor who has the training to help her through this time. Counseling can help your teen get at the root of what is going on and develop the skills to address his challenges. Often times we find that through counseling, not only does the teen feel better, but family relationships improve as well. Importantly, teen counseling can help your child deal with difficulties while still in the safety of your home so she is in a healthy place for independence. Our counselors are trained to work with teens who struggle with:

Anxiety
ADHD
Autism Spectrum
Depression
Relationship Difficulties
Behavior Difficulties
Social Difficulties
Grief
Trauma

You may have some concerns about starting teen counseling

Many people call and say they want their teen to go to counseling, but they don’t know if their teen will go. If you would like your teen to try counseling, then there are a few important things to keep in mind. A great percentage of change in counseling is attributed to the relationship between the teen and therapist. Your teen needs to feel a connection to her counselor. At MVP we believe our teen counselors excel at developing relationships with teens, that said we recommend you have a phone consultation with a potential teen counselor to see if you think the person could connect with your child. If you feel good about the consultation, talk with your teen. Tell him that you want to help. You understand he may not want to go, but that going to counseling needs to happen. Then empower him by saying he has input into who to see. Let him know you want to find a teen counselor he likes. Ask him to go to a session or two to see how he feels with a therapist. In our experience, once a teen has come a couple of times, they see how counseling can help and become more invested in the process.

Counseling takes time and money. All true. Our experience is that when you and your teen invest in counseling the positive changes are worth it. The investment now can make a difference not only in the current day to day experiencing of life and relationships, but also have a positive impact on your teen’s future.

How long will this take?

We hear that question a lot. Honestly, the answer is different for everyone and it depends on what your counseling goals are. Your counselor will work with you and your teen to determine counseling goals, how often to come to counseling, and when the goals have been met and it is time to say goodbye.

If you are ready to take the next step, please call 720-583-9332 so our care coordinator can connect you with one of our teen counselors. We look forward to working with you!