Adolescent/Teen Counseling

If your teen needs counseling here are some concepts to keep in mind. Many teens can benefit from sorting out his or her thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions. A desire or need for counseling does not mean someone is “crazy,” but that someone objective to speak with may be helpful to clarify concerns. Keep in mind that about 1 in 5 teens have mental health symptoms. These symptoms are often treated like any medical problem. For example, if you break your arm, you go to an orthopedic doctor. If you have a sore throat, you see an EENT specialist. If you are feeling depressed, anxious, or just need to sort out your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, you go to a counselor.

Mental health involves how you think, act, and feel in a variety of life situations. Teens have mental health difficulties when their thoughts, actions, and feelings repeatedly create barriers or unhealthy responses in their lives. While every teen has things he or she does and does not like in life, repeated unwanted thoughts, feelings, or actions may create ongoing patterns that become increasingly self-defeating. Identifying this early may indicate an underlying treatable issue that can be resolved if caught at the beginning.

Some reasons for teen mental health issues may include medical conditions, which can be treated by an MD. A medical condition is usually the first item to consider and rule out before moving on to assess mental health issues.