Therapy for Teens and Parents
Because adolescence doesn’t come with a manual…
There is a tremendous amount of pressure and responsibility that comes with being a teenager. Likewise, there’s a lot of pressure when parenting one. Lots of issues arise as you both navigate big changes, hormones, and new developmental stages.
Some of the most prominent issues that arise during the teenage years come from sex, orientation, and identity. As a teen, having conversations about what you are experiencing in relation to these topics with your parents may seem quite terrifying. So terrifying in fact, that you avoid the conversation altogether. As a parent, being approached or approaching your teen on what they are experiencing may be as equally frightening! But, we want you to know, these conversations don’t have to be as hard when you get guidance, help, and support.
Signs your Teen Needs Support:
Making the switch from childhood to the teenage years is a different experience for all individuals. For teens, this time period can be one of the most confusing and challenging, leading to feelings of anxiety or depression. Some of the signs to look for that your teen needs or wants support are below:
- Intense or painful long-lasting moods
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Self-Injury
- Suicidal thinking
- Social withdrawal
- Binging, purging, restricted eating
- Lack of focus that is interfering with daily tasks
- Extreme verbal or physical aggression
- Running away
- Substance abuse/selling drugs
- Excessive risk-taking
- School refusal
- Lack of connection to peers
- Sexual promiscuity
- Isolation from family
- Disruption in sleep schedule (over-sleeping/not sleeping at all)
Parent and Teen Counseling
The one thing we know that is constant in life is change! Any type of change comes with an abundance of emotions. For teens, you are constantly changing. You are navigating emotions related to sex, relationships, your identity and orientation daily. This can be so overwhelming and sometimes you might feel like you just need to be heard. You want to be told that there isn’t something wrong with you, that it is okay to feel the emotions you are.
For parents, seeing your teen experience these moments of change may be incredibly difficult. You both may feel like you do not understand one another and there is no way you ever will. We’ve witnessed first-hand parents and teens who have this exact experience at the beginning of their journey in therapy.
As therapists, we are here to tell you that it does not have to stay that way forever. We’ve seen how counseling can help you both not only understand one another, you can begin to empathize, and embrace the constant change you are both experiencing.
DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY WITH TEENS AND PARENTS
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has five specific skill sets that include the following: mindfulness, distress tolerance, walking the middle path, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. A brief overview of the skills will help you understand how DBT can benefit teens and parents. Specifically, in communicating with a teen who is experiencing changes and recognize of how they identify themselves, their sexuality, relationships, and orientation.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is when you allow yourself to fully experience the moment you are in. You are aware of the thought, feeling, or body sensation you may be having. For example, a teen is sitting with their significant other and starts to feel nervous. When the teen is able to be mindful in that moment, the teen has more control of how they want to move forward in the situation.
As a parent, the teen comes home and shares the experience they had with their significant other and a parent may start to feel protective. By noticing you are having that feeling, you have more control in providing an effective response.
Distress Tolerance Skills
Distress tolerance skills are the skills you turn to when you are in a hard situation or high emotional pain that won’t go away right away. For example, a parent and teen are having a conversation, and the teen wants to talk about having sex for the first time. The parent may become angry and start yelling at the teen. At this point, the teen may have a high emotional reaction to the parent yelling. Distress tolerance skills can help the teen cope so they don’t turn to isolation, self-harm, or substance use. Some of the skills include but are not limited to distraction, talking to a friend, or splashing cold water on their face. These skills are meant to get you through a difficult or emotionally intense feeling.
Walking the Middle Path Skills
Walking the middle path skills are used to find a way to balance and accept change in relationships. Validation is of the greatest importance. Validation means being able to accept or understand how another person sees a situation even if you do not agree. An example, a teen goes to their parents and shares that they feel attracted to the same sex. The parent may have a different view of same-sex relationships. But validation allows the parent being able to provide a safe space for the teen to share their experience even though they may not agree with it. Validation is powerful because it tells the other person that you hear them, and you acknowledge their experience.
Emotional Regulation Skills
Emotion regulation skills help us control our emotions and take hold of them. Emotions are important for us to have because they tell us how we feel about the experiencing we are having. When teens and parents are communicating about sex, identity, or orientation emotions may be high. It’s incredibly beneficial for the teen and parent to be able to recognize the emotion they are having, regulate them, and to not ignore or avoid them.
Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills
Interpersonal effectiveness skills are helpful in keeping relationships and lessening conflict while maintaining self-respect. This skill set is incredibly helpful for teens and parents. Particularly the GIVE skills that encourage us to be gentle, interested, validating, and communicative in a gentle way. And the FAST skills encourage us to be fair to ourselves and others, to not over or under apologize, stick to our values, and be truthful.
Begin Parent and Teen Counseling in Cincinnati, OH
If traditional talk therapy isn’t working for you and you’re ready to try DBT, we would love to speak with you. Some of our therapists are trained in offering DBT to help you become “un-stuck” and move from surviving to thriving. Follow these steps to begin counseling in Cincinnati, OH:
1. Contact Emma Schmidt and Associates to request a free consultation.
2. Meet with a skilled DBT Therapist in Cincinnati, OH or online
3. Begin DBT and find the lasting change you’ve been looking for.
Other Services Offered at Emma Schmidt and Associates:
More to check out…
The therapists at Emma Schmidt and Associates are skilled relationship and sex therapists. However, that’s not the only mental health service they offer at their Cincinnati-based counseling clinic. Our therapists treat general mental health and relationship concerns. We treat many different sexual concerns including sexual pain and erectile dysfunction, and mismatched libido. We also offer anxiety treatment, depression treatment, sexual trauma treatment, trauma and PTSD treatment, relationship and couples therapy, and affair recovery counseling. Additionally, our therapists provide online therapy in Ohio and online therapy in Kentucky. Contact our office to learn more about the many ways our team of skilled clinicians can help you thrive.