Help for Teens
Is your teen under a lot of stress? Do they not seem as happy as they once did? Are they suffering from an eating disorder? Do you suspect they are using drugs?
Most of us remember our teenage years as a combination of great fun, burgeoning freedom and a tremendous amount of stress. During this time our hormone levels are skyrocketing, making us feel emotionally out of control. We also feel a greater need to perform well academically and fit into social circles. All of this stress can take its toll on a teen’s mental health and overall well-being.
Teen Intervene Program
Understanding all the factors contributing to your child's mental health challenges is the first step in seeking out treatment. If a substantial issue is not identified, then treatment can be ineffective and can often lead to the problems getting worse. As part of his training at Hazelden Betty Ford, Dr. Bigler was certified to use the Hazelden Teen Intervene Program to help teens and their families identify the specific challenges facing an adolescents, provide focused, solution focused treatment to help teens during times of crisis, and provides a comprehensive treatment plan for the teen and family members.
Who Can Benefit from Teen Intervene?
Adolescents struggling with chemical or virtual addictions and other mental health challenges can benefit greatly from the Teen Intervene Program. The program is also designed to help parents and other family members learn to support their teen through healthy communication skills and appropriate boundary setting.
Teen Intervene Screening
In order to qualify for the Teen Intervene Program, the teen must complete a brief screening process. The teen will complete a brief assessment and complete various questionnaires to determine if the teen’s struggles are appropriate for the program.
Teen Intervene Details
Teen Intervene is a brief program designed to identify specific problems, provide short-term solution focused skills for the teen and the family, and create a specific and effective list of treatment recommendations/ referrals for the teen and the family.
The program is set up so the teen meets with a mental health provider for 3-4 individual sessions, and then the parents or guardian will then meet with the provider to review treatment progress, goals, and discusses recommendations. In the final session, the teen meets with their parents or guardian with the therapist to review progress and the treatment plan.
Click here for more information on the Teen Intervene Program
Common Life Challenges Among Teens
Teens can often face some serious life challenges that impact their mental health and well-being.
- Loss – Loss can come in the form of a death of a loved one, including a pet, and it can also come in the form of parental separation or divorce. Loss also happens when a family moves to a new location and the teen must go to a new school.
- Stress – A little stress is normal in life and can even be motivating. But too much stress can cause burnout at any age. Many teens face tremendous amounts of stress to do well in school, hold down a job, and be accepted by their peers.
- Violence – Teens that are bullied at school or at home suffer, and often alone. If not dealt with, the aftermath of violence can result in PTSD symptoms.
This is not an exhaustive list of reasons why a teen may want to speak with a therapist by any means. If you think your teen could benefit from therapy, please reach out to me.
What Are Some of the Best Types of Therapy for Teens?
There are three general types of therapy for teens experiencing mental health issues:
Individual Therapy
In these private, one-on-one sessions, a therapist will typical use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help the teen make a connection between their thoughts and feelings, as well as understand how these impact their behavior.
Group Therapy
Group therapy can be very effective because it allows teens to see how their peers handle their problems. Most groups have five to seven teens and one leader who will ask questions and guide the conversation.
Family Therapy
In this scenario, the teen would go to therapy with their parent(s) and sometimes even with siblings. This style of therapy can be very beneficial as it allows the family to communicate effectively and respectfully.
Which type of therapy will be best for the teen will be determined by a trained therapist. Often, he or she will use a combination of all three of these types of therapy.
If your teen is struggling right now and could benefit from therapy, please reach out to me.