“Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.”
-David Richo
Therapy with adolescents can help them understand and resolve issues such as those described above. These years are stressful for most teens and families, and individual as well as family therapy can address the many anxieties they face. The following are common problems:
- depression and anxiety
- bullying
- self-esteem
- fitting in, popularity, peer pressure, grades
- puberty, body image, sexuality, dating, social media
- conflict with parents
- concerns about the future, worries about mass shootings, religious issues
- risks of dating violence, teen pregnancy, excessive use of alcohol, illicit drugs, cyber safety and addiction, and teen pregnancy
- the issue of medication, which can be prescribed by a psychiatrist
Teens in individual therapy are more able than young children to talk directly about their concerns and complaints. Working with parents can be complicated because teens have some rights of privacy, which need to be negotiated with the therapist, the teen, and the parents.