COUNSELLING FOR TEENAGERS AND KIDS AGED 12+
DISCOVER COUNSELLING FOR TEENAGERS AND KIDS MENTAL HEALTH AND PUT AN END TO YOUR WORRIES..
COUNSELLING FOR TEENAGERS, WHO ARE NAVIGATING THE ROLLERCOASTER OF LIFE..
” If you judge people, you have no time to love them“
– Mother Teresa
ARE YOU A TEENAGER WHO IS WORRIED ABOUT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH? OR ARE YOU A PARENT WHO IS CONCERNED FOR YOUR CHILD?
Being a teenager can be really hard, managing the stress of coursework, exams and revision, experiencing bullying, trying to fit in, wanting to be accepted, judging yourself against your friends, judging yourself and others through what you see on social media, it can be really overwhelming and it can be difficult sometimes to know how to make it better.
Then there is the part where you feel like your parents, care givers and teachers just don’t understand you, no matter how you phrase it, and it can become overwhelming.
The teenager years are so important and emotions are high which can cause you to feel different, like your going through this alone because everyone else seems to be “ok”. The way you feel about yourself can have a big impact on the way you behave and the way you experience the world.
It can lead to you doubting yourself and your abilities, increased anxiety that makes it difficult for you to go to school, social anxiety that results in you overthinking every conversation with your friends before, during and also after the conversation, which can be really exhausting.
This can result in you feeling like you’re losing a sense of your own identity, feeling stressed, loneliness and isolation from other people who you desperately want to be around, but you just don’t know how to be yourself, frustration, anger and wondering where you belong.
Whether you just want to work on overcoming obstacles that are preventing you from moving forward, making friendships, getting your revision done and achieving your goals, or if you want to find some useful tools to help you to manage things better going forward, or maybe you just want to talk and make sense of how you’re feeling. I will encourage and support you.
We will work on empowering you and look at ways to build your confidence so that you can do more of what you enjoy, and I will be there to support you on your journey.
I specialise in working with Teenagers and Kids aged 12+, giving them a space where they can feel comfortable about opening up, being honest with themselves and finding their true identity without judgement of other people and opinions that make them feel “strange”, “weird” or “unlovable”.
We can explore all the difficulties of the changes they are going through into adulthood. In my therapy sessions we will talk about what’s brought you to counselling, look at your beliefs and values and hopes for the future and then we will look at how to get you there. We will work on supporting you to be the best version of yourself.
I am interested in listening to you and understanding how it feels to be you, from your perspective and I want to help you to process the challenges that you have faced in a safe and supportive way.
I offer counselling for teenagers and kids aged 12+ to support them throughout their journey. My work focus is to explore the issues that are causing you distress, working on finding a solution that feels right for you in a confidential and comfortable environment.
If your worried about your teenagers mental health contact me today and let’s work together to identify your strengths and look at the things that are holding you back from being the best version of yourself.
TALKING TO YOUR TEENAGER ABOUT THERAPY
First of all, as much as you might feel that you know what’s best for your teenager, you can’t force them to go to therapy, simply because it wont be effective. They need to want to engage in therapy as this is the first step towards achieving positive results. Counselling for teenagers and kids can be daunting as they might worry that something is “wrong” with them. Take a look at the points below that will help you when talking to your teen about counselling and whether they feel that it would benefit them.
OPEN UP A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THEY ARE DOING
It can be really useful to approach this conversation while walking, or playing a game or doing an activity so it feels less like a “big chat”. You might not know what to say, where to start or you might be worried about how they will react. If you know about the issue your teen is facing you could ask them “how can I support you? do you need time to talk, space or something else”.
If you don’t know the full story of what’s happening for them, you could say to them “If you want to talk to me, I am here for you, alternatively if you would rather talk to somebody else that’s ok too”. These are both useful ways to talk in a sensitive way, giving your teenager the autonomy and ability to ask for what they need.
REASSURE THEM ABOUT WHATS INSIDE THEIR CONTROL
Choosing the right therapist is one of the most important factors of the therapy working for the client. Letting your teenager know that if they don’t get along with the therapist they don’t have to keep going, they might feel more comfortable to try it if they know that they are in control of who they feel safe speaking to. Give them time to think about therapy and get used to the idea of therapy.
Childrens counselling services are tailored to the child or teenager in need with the use of games, toys and colouring as a way to help them to feel comfortable and encourage engagement.
BE POSITIVE ABOUT COUNSELLING BEING AN OPTION
Sometimes Therapy is seen as something we do after a crisis, instead try looking at it as something we do before a crisis. It’s important to prevent and maintain mental health first of all so that it doesn’t lead you to a crisis point. Reassure them that it can help some people to feel better, and that it’s okay for them to give it a try and then stop at any point if it doesn’t feel right for them.
Also letting them know that the therapy is outside of their school/college environment can really help with the stigma that often gets attached to therapy as teenagers often don’t want others to know they are in therapy. This also means that they are in control over who knows, if anybody, about them going to therapy and this can help them to feel empowered.
STRUGGLING TO LEAVE THE HOUSE?
Give online therapy sessions a try, this way your teenager can engage in childrens counselling services from the comfort of their own bedroom. They might feel more comfortable being surrounded by their own personal belongings, in a safe space that they are familiar with.
They can also bring along a drink and a favourite toy if that helps, counselling works best when the child feels safe and comfortable to explore, so I encourage them to bring whatever makes things feel better for them.