Therapy for Your Utah Teen: Why Teens Struggle

If you are researching therapy for your teen, you might be wondering why your child is like this now. Maybe they were an easygoing, well behaved kid, and now that they’ve grown you feel disconnected and confused. The teenage years are hard… and not just for your child, but for you as well! How can you help your teen? And how can therapy help you both? 

Today, you will learn why therapy for teens can help. You will also learn why you, the parent, play an important role in the therapy process. (Related Article: Why Choose Family Therapy?). Then, you will learn how to find a therapist for your teen and where to go to get started. 

My Teen Needs Therapy… What Happened?

Now that your child is a teenager, you might feel like you don’t recognize them anymore! They look different, act different, and all of the sudden it seems like they just don’t want to cooperate with you. You might even notice that your teen starts to talk about experiencing anxiety, depression, or another mental health related concern, now that they have entered their adolescence. As a parent, you may not know what to do or where to begin when it comes to supporting your teen during mental health challenges.

The Teenage Years and Change

As you’ve probably already noticed, the teenage years are times of change! Your teen is growing physically, but they are also experiencing lots of intense emotional and psychological changes, too. You’ve probably noticed that your teen sees the world differently now. They might be interested in social issues and) politics. They might begin to “think big” and become concerned about their future and their long-term (Related Article: Creating Goals In Utah Therapy). Your teen will also develop the ability to think more abstractly (The Growing Child).

These changes are an indicator that your child is developing appropriately, and these changes can be exciting! But, there are some other common changes in the teen years that can be much harder to navigate. Your teen might start to become more invested in acceptance from their peers at school, and they might become very concerned with popularity or staying on trend. You might notice that they become very concerned about dating and finding a partner and the challenges that come along with dating for the first time. They might even begin to pull away from you and look for independence (The Growing Child). All of these changes and challenges can feel scary and painful from your perspective as a parent. 

Big Changes, Big Challenges

These changes and challenges are normal and expected for teenagers. But what do you do when the typical teenage experience also includes some changes that feel concerning, scary, or abnormal? Maybe you notice your child loses motivation to participate in school and won’t get out of bed. (Related Article: Moody Teen? Here’s How Therapy Can Help). Or they might become so anxious about friends and socializing that th

ey refuse to go to class. (Related article: Does my child have school anxiety?). They might even get into a bad relationship or friendship that leads to heartbreak. 

Just like adults, teens face big challenges. And you and your teen may find yourself feeling very stuck. That’s where therapy can be a useful tool for not just your teenager, but for you as a parent. In fact, parents like you play an important role in the therapy process for teenagers. In therapy, you and your teen can learn coping skills and strategies that you can practice together at home. You will learn problem solving skills and ways that you can positively influence your teen. And, most importantly, therapy with your teen can create a great opportunity to reconnect and build trust together. (Related article: How to Reconnect with Your Teen).

Therapy Is for Teens and Parents, Too

Feeling stuck with your teen? Therapy can help. Start individual, couples, or family therapy in Orem, South Jordan, or Spanish Fork, or via Telehealth for anyone in Utah.

Written by Lauren Adkins