Adolescents

Stepping into the world of adolescence is like embarking on a thrilling roller coaster ride. It's filled with sky-high peaks of joy and deep valleys of confusion and sadness, all set against a backdrop of constant change and discovery. It's exhilarating, terrifying, and beautiful — all at once. However, this intense journey can sometimes become overwhelming for young minds. They may encounter challenges too complex to navigate alone, and that's when therapy can help.

Psychotherapy with adolescents takes into account the multiple challenges associated with this period in an individual’s life. It helps the young person find a path that is healthy. It honors their unique qualities and goals, and builds the skills needed to engage with family, friends, and the larger world.

What is Adolescent Therapy?

Therapy with adolescents is best when it engages the young person’s energy to become independent, while acknowledging the limitations, challenges, and frustrations of their current life. Therapy can help teens better understand their personal struggles. Many times, unproductive and maladaptive behaviors are an attempt to find a pathway through seemingly impossible situations or conflicting needs and desires. The framework provided in therapy gives the adolescent a way to better understand themselves and the world around them. Adolescent therapy can include discussion and exploration, education about issues like ADHD, learning differences, and managing social situations. It can also include skill development, role-playing, age-appropriate therapeutic games, parent-teen meetings, family therapy, parent guidance and more.

When do I know if my adolescent needs behavioral therapy?

Since the start of the pandemic, many adolescents have been approaching their parents and identifying their own need for therapy. Awareness of mental health treatment has increased via outspoken professional athletes, social media, and through movies and television programs. Some adolescents will not broach the topic. However, you may be concerned about your teen’s isolation, excessive moodiness, declining grades, or behavioral outbursts. Loss of interest in activities, or difficulties in peer and other relationships are also signals of internal distress. Sometimes issues that seemed to be resolved at an early age can get reignited with all the stress associated with the middle school and high school years.

Adolescent Therapy at The Institute for Change

The Institute for Change offers comprehensive mental health services for children and adolescents, from ages 3 through young adulthood. The process begins with a consultation with parents to articulate their concerns and gather relevant information about the young person’s present life and their history. Subsequent meetings may be with the young person alone, with parent(s) and teen, with the family, or some combination of these. The selection of these modalities will be discussed with the adolescent and parents after the clinical assessment by the therapist.

IFC therapists are extensively trained and have years of experience in the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, ADHD, family conflict, social issues, learning differences and more. Our multidisciplinary team of professionals provides various therapeutic services, including individual therapy, family therapy, and parent guidance. These specialists in child and adolescent therapy explore complex problems, making them more manageable to talk about, comprehend, and tackle. We value parental involvement in the treatment process and aim to provide tools for success in all facets of daily life, ultimately empowering the family as a whole.