Teenage counselling (A guide)

In this brief article, we will be discussing teenage counselling, what occurs in teenage counselling, the benefits of teenage counselling, and more information about teenage counselling.

Overview of teenage counselling

This kind of counselling can help teenagers be able to understand their thinking patterns, emotions, and behavioural patterns that might occur in various situations.

This kind of counselling can help teenagers find better ways of dealing with the stressful situations that might occur in their lives. 

When teenagers are not counselled in the right way, this is what makes them go through the bad pathways in life such as smoking and drinking.

Nowadays, there are more teenagers who are going through depression. 

This kind of statistics would only show that this kind of counselling is needed for this group of people who are more vulnerable to mental health disorders since they will be dealing with various concerns that can occur in the adolescent years.

Other than just the counselor trying to get the most out of counselling, the patient itself needs to put in effort to make his counselling effective.

Signs that teenage counselling is for your teenager

Teenagers are more likely to hide their concerns which can make parents have a difficult time to find out if their teenager has concerns.

The following are the signs that you need to find out to know if your teenager is having concerns:

• Change of behaviour in teenagers. (Have they started to act out or get into trouble? Or perhaps they’ve become quiet and withdrawn and are spending a lot of time in their room? A noticeable change in behaviour can be part of their normal stages of development, but could also be a sign that they need some extra support.)
• Sleep patterns. (Often, when we’re feeling upset, physical things like sleep patterns are the first to be affected. If your teen is finding it harder to sleep, it may be a sign something is causing them anxiety. Likewise, sleeping significantly more than usual can be an indicator that they’re demoralised or even depressed.)   
• Eating patterns. (Is your teen eating noticeably more or less than they usually would? Or at different times of day? Are they refusing to sit down for meals with the rest of the family? Eating patterns and appetite often change around emotions. If you’re worried about your teen’s eating, you may want to consult your GP or School Nurse.)
• Health Problems. (Is your son or daughter reporting frequent headaches, tummy upsets, are you noticing changes in mood and lack of motivation? These are often the symptoms of anxiety. First stop is to talk to them about going to a local GP.)
• School grades. (A significant drop in school grades can be a key indicator that they’re feeling distracted or upset. Remember: your teen’s teachers are a key resource when it comes to making sure they’re alright. They may express themselves at school in ways they wouldn’t at home – in the knowledge that you won’t be able to see.)

Kinds of counselling services used in teenage counselling

The following are the typical types of counselling services used for teenagers who are having mental health concerns:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): (The model of this counselling service is about thinking more positively about life, looking at how you can get attached in patterns of behaviour and methods of changing these rather than being fixated on past experiences. There are commonly six or 12 weekly sessions and the counsellor sets goals with the young person, typically with homework to do in between.)

• Mindfulness: (This kind of technique is typically integrated with CBT and helps a teenager to concentrate on difficult thoughts and feeling, rather than preventing them so that the fear of them gradually lessens. Counsellors can also combine this kind of technique which are meditation, yoga and breathing exercises.)

• Psychotherapy: (This kind of therapy is a more long-term counselling and includes talking about the impacts of past experiences and can be more helpful with long-term concerns such as depression or eating disorders. NHS psychotherapists work in clinics or hospitals and some private psychotherapists work from home.)

• Family Therapy: (The whole family works with the family counsellor to try and comprehend the concerns they are all having. This kind of therapy can help enhance communications between family members and concerns such as children’s behavioural problems, disability, family breakdown, addiction and domestic violence.)

How does teenage counselling work as a kind of counselling?

The following are the steps taken in this kind of counselling:

Step 1

One of the counsellors will go through the teenager’s family first and talk about how this counselling will work.

In this time, the counsellor will be asking the teenager questions about the concerns that he or she is currently facing.

Step 2

The counsellor will help your teenager to learn some methods that can help them deal with difficult situations in the future.

The counsellor can also help your teenager know methods of how to increase his or her self-esteem since this can help the teenager to deal with difficult situations in life.

Step 3

There will be sessions where the counsellor will be talking to the parents and the teenager.

The aim of this counselling session is to help parents know about methods that can help support their teenager when he or she is facing a difficult situation. 

The counsellor will be having counselling sessions with the teenager for 50 minutes which is an effective schedule for counselling sessions.

These sessions are important in helping the teenager know about techniques that can help boost self-esteem which can help them in the long run with dealing with difficulties in the adolescent years and the adult years.

How can teenage counselling help teenagers?

This kind of counselling can help teenagers since they are more likely to be troubled with something that might occur in their lives.

They might have issues with friends, family, and some mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety and this kind of counselling can help them when they have trouble talking about their concerns. 

This kind of counselling can help them get through the difficult areas in life and help them open up about what is concerning them in their lives.

This kind of counselling can help them have a positive difference in their lives. 

There are many forms you can have this kind of counselling such as online, face-to-face, email, phone calls, and more.

This kind of counselling is a typical form of talking therapy that is available in medical services such as the NHS. 

This kind of counselling can help teenagers get through the difficult events that they might go through in life.

This kind of counselling is for teenagers who are going through something that is affecting their mental wellbeing such as grief, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, substance abuse, emotional disorders, anxiety, behavioural concerns, and more mental health struggles. 

The counsellor will be talking to the teenager on how to control the symptoms of the affected teenager.

Where can I find teenage counselling services in the country?

The Child and Adolescent Mental Service (CAMHS) is where you can find these kinds of counselling services in the country.

You can access this kind of service to get some ideas on how to get your teenager to get to counselling.

You can check out your local mental health centres if you want to find out if these kinds of services that are available to help your teenager calm down.

You can use this kind of counselling to also get close to your child which might help in his or her healing and be able to talk to you about things that can help you.

There are also other services that can help your teenager to get the help he or she needs.

You only need to find out about the services of these counselling service centres to know which counselling service centre can help them.

The following are these counselling service centres for you:

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

This is a professional body which can help train counsellors and therapists to follow the ethical standards needed in the practice.

You can also use this service to find counsellors who can help your teenager.

You can get in touch with them by calling 01455 883 300 which is available from Mon-Fri,  09:00 – 17:00

Association of Child Psychotherapists

This is a register where you can look for accredited teenage counsellors and psychotherapists.

You can also use this register to seek for mental health professionals who are offering private practice. 

This association will give you counsellors who will bring high standards in practice and training.

Counselling Directory

This is a directory of private counsellors who are accredited by a professional body.

You can also use this directory to find other therapies that can help your teenager.

British Psychological Society

You can find in this society some information on how counsellors can help your teenager and some counsellors that can be recommended for your teenager.

Youth Wellbeing Directory

This is a list of local services that can offer mental health care for your teenager.

Conclusion

In this brief article, we have discussed teenage counselling, what occurs in teenage counselling, the benefits of teenage counselling, and more information about teenage counselling.

If you have questions about teenage counselling, please let us know and the team will gladly answer your queries.

FAQs: teenage counselling

Citations

Relate. How do I know if my teenager needs counselling?.

The British CBT & Counselling Service. Counselling for Teenagers and Children.

Young Minds. Counselling Services for Children and Young People.