It is so hard to see your teen struggling

We all remember what it’s like to be back in high school where every. little. thing. feels monumental. But maybe you’ve started to notice your teenager pulling away from you, talking less at dinner, and having trouble with schoolwork. Perhaps you’ve seen them get so stressed about a project or a test that they start to break down. If you’ve ever gotten that dreaded “can you come pick me up?” text, then you know what it’s like to have a kid who’s really having trouble.

Stay with me while I talk about brains for a second…

Teenagers are in such a unique developmental period between the ages of 13-18. Their minds are starting to form:

  • Ideas about who they are

  • Impulse control

  • Decision-making

  • Other executive functioning

This is an exciting time for adolescents to understand more about their likes and dislikes, develop good study skills, and learn how to regulate their emotions. It also means that this is the first time they’re starting to compare themselves to their peers, worry about getting into college, and maybe even think about dating for the first time.

Have you ever heard the phrase :

“what fires together, wires together”?

What we’re talking about is the brains ability to pair a certain stimulus with a particular outcome.

For example, pairing test-taking with that unshakeable feeling of having a pit in your stomach, or pairing sitting down to do homework with feeling like if I get a bad grade I’m never going to get into college and I’m never going to succeed and I’m going to be a failure.

sound familiar?

In working with teenagers, it’s so important to develop skills to combat these pairings early so that they can feel:

  • More competent in school work and social interactions

  • Increased motivation

  • Organized and on top of the tasks they have to complete

  • Able to identify what they’re feeling and how to address the stress

I can help in an approachable, silly, and targeted way.

what’s the treatment, emma?

my process combines “gold-standard” cognitive-behavioral interventions with skills for gaining insight.

I do this through building a strong and meaningful connection with your kiddo so that they can strengthen competence and feel good about themselves.

Let’s take a look at what those strategies might be:

anxiety

- Challenging negative self-talk and thought patterns

- Looking at the “data” and building a more well-rounded view of the situation

- Engaging in exposure activities that allow the body to acclimate to the things that are making them anxious

depression

- Implementing daily movement and behavioral activation to improve mood

- Creating a journaling & mindfulness practice

- Increasing social engagements to lessen the feeling of isolation & hopelessness

adhd

- Developing an organized system to tackle difficult school assignments

- Breaking complicated tasks down into smaller, achievable goals so that they feel less overwhelming

- Fostering skills surrounding time management, focus, and attention

Look, all teenagers have trouble focusing, get sad, and are stressed about school and friends.

But if these feelings are getting in the way of your teen being the amazing, incredible, vibrant kid that they are, then it’s time to get some support.

  • We’ll start out with an initial parent consultation. From there, we’ll meet as needed — sometimes with your teen if we’re working on building support at home or communication, sometimes without! Involvement certainly depends on what your individual kid needs.

  • You’ll see it in action! Over time, you’ll notice that they’re becoming less frazzled, more in control, and better able to advocate for their needs.

  • Click right here and send me a message!