Orlando Teen Counseling
Orlando Teen Counseling and getting your teen to come up with the idea on their own can and will work. I don’t know of many teens that are eager to attend therapy at the beginning. Often times parents are asking them to attend out of their own anxiety and fear for certain situations. It’s important for therapist to find a way to bridge the two (family and teens). Both need to be involved in the Therapy process. It is a delicate blend that allows the teen to trust the therapist and the parents feel they are involved and not left in the dark.
Orlando Teen Counseling
Why it’s Hard to Sell a Teen on Therapy
- It’s uncomfortable to open up to a stranger.
- They may feel that their parents are overreacting and nothing is wrong.
- They may not trust the therapist and feel the information will be shared back with the parent.
- Life at this age is very personal and they do not want to share with a stranger.
These are just a few examples why a teen may resist therapy. If a teenager does mesh well with the therapist it can be a very powerful bond and effective work can and will be done.
Once a teen opens up to a therapist, they feel there is someone on their side that’s not reporting back to the parents. They let themselves open up and really talk about the deeper issues. The issues many times deal with some of the following areas:
- Peer Pressure
- Drug Use and Alcohol
- Family Problems
- School Performance
- Dating and Social Peer Acceptance
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Much, much, more.
Getting your teen to see a therapist may not be easy but if you can call a therapist and get their assistance it will make your job much easier.
Orlando Teen Counseling
Let It Be Their Idea
It’s important that the Teen is on board when making the decision to see a therapist. Don’t directly ask your Teen if they would like to see a therapist. More than likely you’ll be met with resistance.
What I tend to find that works with teens is if they come up with the idea on their own then they’re more willing to move forward. The following are a few helpful statements that may aid and getting your team to counseling.
“I heard from a friend that her son went and saw a counselor and loved it because the parent wasn’t given access to anything that he said.”
“Growing up there weren’t counselors To go and talk to. I wonder what it would be like to have someone who’s not going to tell anyone else your deep dark secrets.”
I consider this a good example of a backdoor approach or suggesting but not really directly telling your teen that it’s a good idea. Let them think about it. After a few days you can come back around and say, “Hey I just want you to know that the option to see someone is available. Just let me know.”