Nicki Sindle, LPC-MHSP 615-498-5453 nsindle7@gmail.com
Teen Therapy: Individual Support For Your Teen
- Are you worried and concerned about your teenage child?
- Is your teen experiencing mood swings and/or behavioral changes?
- Has your teen recently experienced a difficult transition such as divorce, moving, or social and/or school changes?
- Does your teenager have difficulty managing stress and life responsibilities?
If you’ve answered YES to any of these questions, individual therapy for your teenager could be the solution you have been looking for.
Starting your teen in therapy is a great first step to guiding your child into becoming a mature and responsible adult.
My approach in working with teens is simple: the relationship is EVERYTHING! I have had success treating even the most resistant teens with my engaging and empathetic style. As your teenager’s therapist, I will work with your child to understand their wants and needs and tailor the treatment in the way that your teen will best receive care.
My style integrates relationship building and behavioral tools to help your teen manage his/her symptoms of anxiety, depression, and any other overwhelming emotions.
As your teen’s therapist, I will teach your teenager skills needed to self-soothe and learn how to manage emotions in any environment. If your teen has had adverse life experiences or trauma, I will work with them on that. Through relationship and insight- grounded psychotherapy, your teen will have a better understanding of who they are and will develop an improved self- esteem at an age where identity and self-worth are constantly being tested.
Here are some common worries that parents have about their teenagers:
“My teen doesn’t think she needs help.”
Some teens are resistant to starting therapy. They might view the therapist as an ally to their parents and not for them. This is a common misconception that is often alleviated after the first meeting with a therapist. The therapeutic alliance is the number one tell-tale sign whether or not your teenager will be helped through therapy. Once your teenager realizes that the therapist is her ally and not yours, she will be more likely to engage in treatment. A therapist very often can serve as a positive adult role model who isn’t the teen’s parent, which increases the likelihood that your teen won’t dismiss the guidance presented through therapy. As someone who struggled immensely during her teenage years, I use my empathy and professional skills to reach even the most resistant teens.
“I think my teenager is suffering with depression”
Adolescence is a very common time for depression to set in. Sometimes this is because a more serious emotional disturbance is developing, but often times it is related to the many pressures of adolescence, including physiological and hormonal changes that are occurring at this time. Depression can come in many forms and while sometimes it looks like sadness and tears, it also can present as anger and aggression. Starting therapy for your teen will give him the opportunity to identify and process these feelings that may be driving negative behaviors. As your teenager’s therapist, I will always be sure to provide a non-judgmental and safe space to help your teen examine their beliefs about themselves as well as the challenges they are facing.
“My teenager worries about everything.”
Anxiety is another common experience for teenagers, especially as teens are living in uncertain and changing times. Teens today have more pressure than they used to. They are preparing for college applications, keeping up with online or in person classes, and school activities. Teens are under tremendous amounts of stress. Working with a therapist is a sure way to calm your teen’s anxiety. Therapy is essential for your teen to learn self-soothing and calming techniques that will help her manage overwhelming anxiety. As your teen’s therapist, establishing a strong relationship with your teen will allow her to be able to trace her roots of anxiety and identify triggers as well as come up with fast acting solutions to calm worries as they arise. I am skilled in helping your teen develop action plans to put into place when and where ever anxiety strikes.