Teen Counseling in Roswell, GA
Have You Noticed Troubling Changes In Your Teen’s Behavior?
Does your teenager seem unusually sad and withdrawn lately? Have they been:
Isolating from friends and saying no to activities they normally love?
Falling behind in school and suffering from low energy and lack of motivation?
Engaging in drug use, drinking, and other risky behaviors?
Maybe your teen is struggling with low self-esteem or negative body image and it’s deeply affecting their confidence and ability to socialize. Perhaps they seem unusually depressed or anxious and you’re not sure why—they get frustrated at the smallest things and they’re acting out in ways that aren’t in line with their character. As a result, maybe you’re asking yourself if it’s time for them to get some deeper mental health support.
As The Parent, Sometimes There’s Only So Much You Can Do
You may have tried everything you can until you’re blue in the face, but when your teen’s mental health is struggling, sometimes their challenges simply run deeper than hormones and mere behavioral issues.
That’s why it’s important not to blame yourself for your teen’s struggles—their challenges aren’t necessarily a reflection of what you have or haven’t done. Sometimes there’s deep-rooted trauma, anxiety, or depression in the picture, and it often takes a mental health professional to get to the bottom of what’s going on.
At Renovating Hope, our therapists are trained and equipped to help teens of all backgrounds learn new coping skills, increase their self-awareness, and grow in their confidence and self-esteem. You don’t have to keep fumbling around in the dark for answers—we're here to provide a guiding light for you and your teen during this confusing and chaotic time of life.
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Being A Teen In Today’s World Is Complicated
Adolescence has always been a difficult age, but in the 21st century, it’s arguably harder—and stranger—than it’s ever been. Teens today don’t just have to wrestle with the usual existential questions of “Who am I?” and “What do I want to do with my life?” Thanks to social media and the internet, there’s a host of new pressures on their plate, including:
Concerns about follower count and media image
Access to an overload of information, not all of which is helpful or accurate
Political extremism that preys on the vulnerable
Negative body image that’s rampant all over TV and the internet
Pornography and other harmful and explicit content
On top of that, Instagram and other platforms allow teens to see what all their friends are up to without them, which can easily make teens feel left out, unwanted, and unpopular. As a result, it’s easy for teens to feel like everyone else is leading a charmed life except for them.
When you combine all these factors with mounting pressures from school, sports, and extracurriculars, it’s little wonder youth in America are currently experiencing a mental health crisis.
Your Teen May Not Want To Tell You All Their Problems—And That’s Okay
As a parent, it’s hard to accept when your teen doesn’t want to tell you everything. But part of that is just the process of growing up—now that your teen is older, they’re more independent, and they’re not as likely to come to you about their problems. Whether they’re dealing with questions around their sexuality, relationships, or future, they want their space and autonomy.
That’s why therapy is such a key element in a teen’s journey—it gives them a safe, confidential space where they can open up and be vulnerable with someone who understands teenage mental health issues on a nuanced level.
Many parents worry that sending their teen to counseling is an admission of failure, but this is not the case. It’s a sign that you care for your teen and want what’s best for them; what’s more, it’s also a way to take some of the load off your shoulders, ensuring that you don’t have to do all the heavy lifting yourself.
Counseling Can Provide Your Teen With Hopeful Solutions To Their Story
Let’s face it: being a teenager is hard, and it’s easy for teens to imagine that one problem—be it a breakup, a sports injury, or a rejection from their favorite school—defines their future. Counseling is a chance for teens to step back and realize that their story is only just beginning, and that there is still so much time to rewrite the narrative of their life. It's an opportunity to look at the big picture and get in touch with the things that really matter—whatever that means for them!
At Renovating Hope, we use a wide range of coping skills, holistic approaches, and evidence-based counseling interventions to help teens overcome anxiety, depression, and trauma, as well as the general ups and downs of the teenage years. And if faith is important to your teen, we are deeply happy to incorporate it, helping them view their situation from a Christian perspective and empowering them to be their God-created self.
What To Expect In Teen Counseling Sessions
Our teen therapists are very down-to-earth and approachable. We understand what it’s like to be a teenager and we know that what teens want most is someone who will listen, not someone who will tell them what to do or judge them for their decisions. We’re here to help your teen find the answers that already lie within them, which means giving them the space to be themselves and engage in therapy in a way that works for them.
Although we’ll generally meet with you (the parent/caregiver) during the intake process to ensure that expectations are clear and we have some handy background info, the majority of sessions will be between your teen and their counselor. What we work on is ultimately up to your teen. Depending on what their challenges are, we can use:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help your teen explore the connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and reframe negative thought patterns.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to empower them to accept what they can’t control and commit to changing what they can.
Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques to teach your teen the art of centering themselves, regulating their emotions, and using deep breathing to foster calmness and peace of mind.
Family Systems-Oriented Work to help improve dynamics in your teen’s family, allowing for family therapy sessions if and when it might benefit your teen (as long as they are comfortable with it).
Through a combination of research-backed approaches and compassionate, Christ-centered guidance, we are confident that we can help your teen process their struggles, unlock new insights, and become the person they were always meant to be.
You May Have Some Questions About Teen Counseling...
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The role you play in your teen’s journey depends on what they’re comfortable with. We like to give teens autonomy over their treatment process, ensuring they have the safety and confidentiality to work through their challenges openly and honestly. That said, if we feel that including you more closely in therapy is a good idea, we can talk to your teen about what that might look like for everyone involved.
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Medication is not our first choice for assisting our clients. At Renovating Hope, we take a holistic approach, looking at your teen’s emotional, physical, social, and spiritual wellbeing. To that end, we generally find that therapy in and of itself is powerful enough that medication is not needed. But if you and your teenager decide you want to try medication, there’s no shame in doing so—we would be more than happy to connect you with a prescriber!
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The decision is ultimately in your teen’s hands, but at the very least, we encourage your teen to give therapy a try. Most teens who are reluctant to attend counseling come around quickly once they realize that this is a safe, supportive space where they’re encouraged to be themselves.
What’s more, it’s worth emphasizing that there is no pressure to commit right away. Your teen is welcome to come for a session or two, see how they like it, and then make a more finalized decision.
In fact, a big part of the process is regularly checking in to talk about how much we need to meet. Although it’s best to start with weekly sessions, it’s okay to adjust the frequency of sessions as time goes on and you come closer to meeting your goals.
Let’s Help Your Teen Find Healing In Their Mind, Body, And Spirit
The fact that you’re here is a testament to how much you love your teen and how badly you want to see them heal, grow, and transform. Counseling is a chance to make that happen, and it all starts by reaching out to one of our teen counselors and filling out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!
