What To Look For in a Teen Therapist

If your teen is having a difficult time, it may help to take him or her to a therapist for teen counseling. It can be scary to start the process and find someone to help support your teen. Here are some guidelines on what to look for in a teen therapist.

What To Look For When Searching For a Teen Therapist in Colorado

Education

Unfortunately, the mental health field is not as well-regulated as it could be so this is important. The very first thing you need to look for is to be sure the teen therapist has at least a Master’s degree in counseling, marriage and family counseling, or social work. If a teen counselor has a degree in one of these fields they have met the education requirement.

Teen Therapist Specialties

Just like other professions, teen therapists typically have a specialty. It is important to take your child to a teen counselor who specializes in working with children and teens. It is also important that the teen counselor you take your child to has experience working with the presenting concern for your child. For example, if your child struggles with anxiety be sure the teen therapist has experience working with teens with anxiety. There are many modalities of therapy out there and understanding your teen’s needs will help you find the most helpful approach. Here are a few therapies to keep in mind:

EMDR Therapy

EMDR is rooted in trauma therapy. That said, it can also be helpful for other concerns.  Most of us have a “core negative belief” about ourselves. For example, maybe your teen feels: not good enough, afraid to fail, not lovable, and not safe.

Of course, there are many other negative beliefs people can have, but these are some of the most common. If your teen has a core negative belief that is impacting mental health and life then EMDR therapy may be a good fit.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a modified type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It has roots in supporting those who struggle with self-harm and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Its main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress and anxiety, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others. These are skills we all need, and many teens can benefit from learning them in therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a well-researched form of therapy for anxiety and depression although with other mental health difficulties. The idea with CBT is that what we think and what we do impacts how we feel. If we can change what we think and what we do we can change how we feel.

Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems therapy has been gaining popularity. With IFS we acknowledge the subpersonalities or parts of ourselves within our mental system. In simplified language, there are wounded parts and parts that try to protect the person from the wounded parts. IFS focuses on healing wounded parts and restoring balance and harmony.  

Goodness of Fit

This one is huge! The greatest percentage of change in counseling is accounted for by the relationship with the counselor. It is extremely important that your child likes the teen counselor he or she is seeing. Although there are a lot of teens who are initially resistant to counseling, most of them decide they like it and that it is helpful after a couple of sessions. This is because of the relationship. If your child does not like their counselor, listen. Find a different counselor.  At Mountain Vista, we have several teen therapists, trained in different modalities that specialize in working with teens.

Collaboration

Although parental inclusion is typically not as significant with teens as it is with younger children, it is important that you are included in the process. Your child still lives with you for a reason, they are not ready to do life on their own yet! Ask your child’s teen therapist what your role is in the process and be sure you are comfortable with the answer.

If you need help for your child, call us at 720-583-9332 or email info@mountainvistapsychology.com to learn more about our teen therapist!  We have intake coordinators ready to answer your questions and connect you with a counselor who will be a good fit to support your teen.

Find Support For Your Teen With The Help of a Teen Therapist in Englewood, Littleton, Greenwood Village, and Denver, CO!

If you are worried about your teen’s well-being, take the first step toward their mental health journey by seeking professional support in teen counseling at Mountain Vista Psychology. Connect with a qualified teen therapist to provide the guidance and assistance your teenager needs to thrive. Follow these three simple steps to get started:

1. Schedule a free phone consultation to see if Teen Counseling is right for your child
2. Begin meeting with a skilled teen therapist
3. Start seeing positive changes in your teen!

Other Services Offered by Mountain Vista Psychology

At Mountain Vista Psychology, we provide many services to help empower individuals on their journey toward mental and emotional well-being. So in addition to helping your teen find support with a skilled teen therapist, we also provide counseling services in child counseling, adult counseling, family counseling, & more. We also provide Neurofeedback Therapy services for Neurofeedback for ADHD, Neurofeedback for Autism, Neurofeedback for Concussion/ TBI, and Neurofeedback for Sports/Performance. Our team also provides testing for learning disabilities, ADHD, and Autism. Be sure to check out our Blog and FAQs for more about us and our services!