Teen Counseling
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Does My Teenager Need Therapy?Does it feel like you are living with a toddler, but your child is 15 years old? Let's face it, parents, you may have thought you were done with the "terrible twos;" however, you now have the privilege of living through them all over again with your teen. Your child is changing and behaving in many of the same ways that they did as a toddler: asserting their independence, feeling invincible, and establishing their identity just to name a few. All teens go through this; however, if it seems like your child's and family's experience is outside of the norm, you have concerns about school performance, peer influence or peer relationships, body image, anxiety or depression, it may be helpful to consider counseling
What if My Teen Doesn't Want to Go to Therapy?“Even my parents think there is something wrong with me.”
“I’m not crazy, so why do I need to go to therapy?” No matter what your age, the idea of going to therapy can be scary. Often teens do not want to go to therapy because they feel like they will get in trouble or that the therapist will only try to fix what their parents want fixed. And sometimes, they are fearful that something really is wrong with them and they are not ready to hear that. While we are interested in what parents want, it is also extremely important that teens are able to set some of their own goals for counseling. Teens are more likely to be on board with getting some support if they understand that the therapy will address what they would like to see different rather than what they are told should be different. The therapists at Arvada Therapy Solutions are very collaborative and do a great job of getting both the teens’ needs met as well as the parents. How Much Do I Get to Be Involved?Sending your teen to therapy is a brave act for the parents as well. You are trusting us with your greatest gift, your child. And it is important that your teen’s therapist is able to build enough trust with your teen that they can share the most important and vulnerable experiences. The therapeutic relationship is one of the most helpful aspects of the therapy process. Therefore, we hold a significant amount of confidentiality for our teens.
What does this mean for you as a parent? We still believe that parents can be a huge support in this process. At times we may let your teen know that it would be helpful to share specific things with their parent(s) and ask how they think it should be done. Or we may suggest that they bring up a specific idea or experience with you. For the most part, your teen will still be in the drivers seat on decisions of what to share with parents and what we keep confidential. If there is a safety concern, your teen does not actually have a choice that we share, but get to be a part of deciding how it is shared with their caregivers. And in some cases, as mandated reporters, they unfortunately do not have much say in how we share imminent safety concerns. Want to have an important conversation with your teen? Or do you just want them to speak more than a few words to you? Click on the link below for some helpful hints. Good Luck! 
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