Adolescent Counselling

As individuals transition from childhood to adolescence they are presented with new challenges and pressures in life. Teens are developing their own individual selves while simultaneously figuring out how to fit into the social world surrounding them. They are experiencing their own need for autonomy which often also means changes in relationships with their parents. Not only are they maturing, they might be trying new ways of communicating with the people in their lives. Adolescence is a time of significant growth, they face many shifting demands in a time where they are experiencing ongoing emotional development. During this time it is important for teens to feel supported, seen, and heard. Adolescent counselling can give the opportunity to develop skills to smoothly navigate this complex phase in their lives.

A few life situations where adolescent counselling can help:

• Self-Esteem development, self-worth and confidence building
• Exploring healthy social and communication skills
• Increasing assertiveness in combination with setting boundaries while maintaining empathy
• Navigating friendships and dating as a teenager
• Learning to regulate emotions, express self clearly and not supress emotions
• Support during transition times with families such as divorce, new parent relationships or step-siblings
• Developing skills to deal with anxiety, depression, worry or fear
• Strategies for managing self-harm behaviours
• Creating a healthier dynamic between parent and teen
• Body Image and building a healthier relationship with body and food
• Identity, learning who they are and who they are becoming

If you are feeling concerned about the relationship between you and your teen, or if you are noticing behaviours that seem out of the norm for your teenager, it can be helpful to have a conversation to see how we can be of help.

Some teenagers are open to and often seek out counselling themselves as they value having a supportive safe place to discuss and understand the challenges they are facing. Other teens are quite resistant to the process and are hesitant to engage. Finding the right therapeutic relationship for your teen is essential to help them open up and explore their feelings, patterns or give voice to thoughts they’ve kept inside and possibly haven’t shared with anyone. We work to listen to and hear your teenager, to walk through their current challenges with them and help them explore the steps forward they want to take.

Parent-Teen Relationship

Being a teenager is a unique time in life where development is rapid and identity is forming. They are trying to figure out who they are, how to fit into their world and how to be understood by their parents. They often feel as though their parents “don’t get it”. Growing up is challenging, many things are changing all at once and both parents and teens feel they don’t have the skillset to navigate these changes. We focus on strengthening or repairing the parent-teen relationship, which often involves supporting parents to develop patience with their teen as they are trying on different things in exploration of their own selves. We help parents find supportive language to guide their teen while also showing that they are actively listening to them and “not telling them what to do”. It is beneficial for families to have a safe environment to discuss the concerns they have with their relationship, to come up with solutions together to facilitate change within the family.

We understand how difficult it is to watch your teen struggle and feel helpless to guide them. We will offer support for both you and your teen so you feel more equipped to connect with them and set them up for success in their lives.