Teen Counseling Santa Rosa CA

By Catherine Butler


Teenage years happen to be among the most challenging and stressful for parents and teens alike. At this age, teenagers face lots of pressure as they try to configure what is going on in their lives. This is why they need to get counseled to deal with such problems in the best way possible. Parents are advised to be keen to notice any strange behaviors in their teens that might require help. When considering teen counseling Santa Rosa CA parents ought to know how to go about it.

There are a number of instances in which counseling is needed. Divorce or separation can weigh down on teens in a serious way and they will need to be talked to. They are likely to struggle with challenges that are related to not having both parents staying together. They my develop emotions like guilt, regret or anger. Bereavement is also serious and might leave teenagers traumatized. This is more so if the person was close to them.

Bullying can be a source of trauma to teens and is especially serious because it might go unnoticed. If parents suspect their teen kids are getting bullied, they will need to talk to them about it and if possible, contact their school. Through counseling, teens will be able to regain self-esteem. Teenagers can also be stressed in school because of exams and general academic life. Most of them are worried about the consequences of not doing well.

Some struggles that teens face are perfectly normal since they are part of development. Some of these include dealing with peers, going through identity change and developing different interests. Parents are supposed to be patient when dealing with them at such times. Teens are expected to open up about what they are going through, which is only possible when they are handled with patience.

There are useful tips that helps when counseling teens. One of the main things one should note is that counselors need to listen and reflect. In many cases when one is approached by a teen, they at once feel they have words of wisdom that they need to impart. This can be counterproductive. You need to carefully listen to them as they tell you what the problem is. This is followed by reflection before coming up with what you think is the best way out.

A teenager should not be judged during counseling. Teens easily know when they are being looked down upon and judged. If they feel one is judging them, they will most likely keep quiet and fear sharing the issues again. They should be made to feel comfortable by being told what they are going through is perfectly normal.

A counselor must never over-identify. Among the mistakes some people make during counseling is attempting to match their previous similar experiences with what they are going through at that time. This jeopardizes the process. It is always enough to just acknowledge you have had a similar experience and then proceed to counsel them normally.

Small talk can be of a lot of help. It will be important to find little stuff to talk to teens about. It might be about their interests, schedules or what is going on in their lives at the time. The talk instills a sense of comfort and ease in them.




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