Counselling For Teenagers
As a parent myself, I am very familiar with the emotional struggles that teenagers face. There’s a lot going on for them! School, friendship issues, pressure to do well, peer pressure, social lives, all this and more mixed in with a ton of hormones. It’s really not easy for teenagers, so support from parents, and trusted teachers/school is vital at these times in order for them to feel secure. Sometimes however teenagers can be faced with more challenging problems which can feel very overwhelming. These can include family problems, bullying, bereavement, anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, body image issues, or any major life changes that impact their worlds
Tell-Tale signs that something is troubling your teenagers
*They may start to show signs of behavioural change such as becoming withdrawn, isolating themselves, angry, getting into trouble at school, grades slipping etc.
*Eating and appetite can change and you might possibly notice an increase or reduction in their food intake (if you are worried that your child has an eating disorder please seek help from their GP sooner rather than later – eating disorders can be recovered from the quicker they have medical help)
*Lack of motivation and drive to do daily tasks *Noticeable lack of interest in doing the things they normally would enjoy
*Friendships not being as close as they once were and not being involved in social arrangements with their usual close friends and friendship groups
*Sleep patterns changing, they might find it increasingly difficult to get to sleep or wake in the night and struggle to get back to sleep. Or you might notice that they sleep too much and always feel tired.
*Poor hygiene, washing, daily showers, brushing teeth and hair, and generally a lack of caring for themselves.
*Sometimes, some teenagers can turn to self-harm as a way to cope with the struggles that they are faced with. Noticing a lack of wanting to wear short sleeves or shorts on hotter days.
Counselling with me
I have a wealth of experience Counselling Young people which includes school counselling, NHS youth Counselling, Other NHS commissioned youth Counselling organisations and of course in my private practice. I help young people to feel safe, heard and able to open up about the problems they are struggling with. Sometimes we might put pen to paper and draw or create things to help them express how they are feeling if words alone feel too difficult. I might use cards to explore emotions, thoughts, feelings and strengths which brings a more fun element to the work we do together.
You can rest assured that the well-being and safety of the young people that I work with are my top priority. I have a lot of experience working with high risk and so communication with Parents is paramount if safeguarding concerns were to arise, such as self-harm, or suicidal thoughts. If anything like this were to arise then we would work together in finding the best ways to support your child, including implementing safety plans.
If your child needs urgent crisis support then they can call childline (up to their 19th birthday) on 0800 11 11 – Samaritans on 116123 or text SHOUT to 85258 or call 999 if in an emergency.