Counseling for Teens
The teen years can be a roller coaster of feelings, relationships, and experiences. When we consider the difficulties that teens face along with the hormonal and developmental changes in their bodies, it’s no wonder these years in particular can be challenging.
Fortunately, several things can help teens. One of the best resources for teens during these tumultuous years is counseling. This can help teens navigate what they are facing, deal with past issues, and prepare them to handle things in the future. Plus, it can improve family relationships.
We want to help you and your teen understand teen counseling.
Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Contact our reception team at
(424) 438-2888
Considering all that happens in this season of their life, every teen can benefit from the support of counseling. You don’t need to have a major trauma or specific issues to work through (although those are certainly good reasons to go to counseling.) The counselors at Redlands Christian Counseling are here to support emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness for teens in ways that are unique to each one of them.
If you want your teen to discover faith-based support, Christian counseling is a great option.
Teen counseling is for whatever issues your teen is facing. There are a variety of possibilities. If your teen is facing any of the following, counseling can help:
- Bullying (being bullied or bullying others).
- Tension with parent relationships.
- Struggles with family relationships such as siblings, blended family, or extended family.
- Difficulty in school.
- Trouble making or keeping friends.
- Boyfriend or girlfriend issues.
- Disordered eating.
- Poor self-image.
- Phone use or addiction.
- Substance use such as alcohol, marijuana, and drugs (prescription or recreational).
- Insecurity.
- Plans for the future.
These are just a few examples of things your teen may need help with. Counseling is a resource for whatever unique struggles your teen faces.
Your teen’s participation is ideal, however, the counselors in our office are trained to work with people who do not want to be at counseling. While we hope teens will see the benefits of counseling and share openly, we are dedicated to building a trusted relationship with your teen. This helps them feel safe enough to open up.
If, after some time, your teen still does not participate, we will talk with you and your teen about options for moving forward. We want this to be beneficial for your teen.
As counselors, we cannot share information a client tells us unless they give permission to do so. The only exception to this is when they are a danger to themselves or someone else. If your teen shares something that we think you should know we will encourage them to tell you, working on ways they would be comfortable sharing. This may include inviting you to attend a session. Sometimes this provides a neutral space with an unbiased third party to guide the conversation.
It is important that we develop a trusting relationship with your teen. You can be assured that the counselors in our office will encourage them to communicate important information with you if they feel comfortable doing so.
The number of counseling sessions depends on a few factors. We consider things like how much your teen participates, how long they want to come, what issues they are working through, and how they progress through any therapies we implement. This can range anywhere from four sessions to months or longer. It is a decision we make as we learn and progress.
Medication can be helpful for some teens, but it is not necessary for everyone. We will evaluate your teen and their specific needs. A medical provider is required to prescribe medication. We will work with your teen and their provider if we feel medication is helpful to their treatment.
This depends on your situation. Sometimes it is helpful for parents to participate in sessions with their teens. This can be to listen to the teen’s session or to shift to a family counseling focus. This is up to your teen, you, and the counselor to decide. If your teen does not want you to participate, you can consider individual counseling to help you know how to interact with and handle things with your teen.
About teen counseling.
Teen counseling is a helpful resource for your teen and you. The counselors at our office in Redlands, California are committed to providing faith-based counseling services that support your teen. Connect with us today for more information.
Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Contact our reception team at
(424) 438-2888