Building healthy and effective communication with your teenager requires patience, understanding, and a commitment to personal growth. By applying these five tips and being open to seeking professional counseling support when needed, you can create a strong foundation for meaningful conversations and a deeper connection with your teen. Remember, it's a journey, and even small steps in the right direction can lead to transformational changes in your relationship.
The Rollercoaster of Adolescence
Adolescence is a time of rapid development, both physically and mentally. It is normal for teenagers (ages of 13-19) to experience emotional upheavals and grapple with the pressures of academics and social situations. Let's take a closer look at these two common challenges.
What is Multi-Systemic Therapy?
One of the therapeutic approaches that we use here at Discovery and Wellness Counseling is Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST). MST focuses on systems within the teenagers or adolescence life in an effort to address substance abuse, self-esteem issues, defiance, isolation, and mood disorders (anxiety and depression). It is an intensive treatment designed to decrease family fighting, failing grades, low structure and family disconnection.
What is Counseling?
The term counseling can be both confusing and intimidating but, when you break it down it is not nearly as scary as it initially sounds. Counseling is simply another word for getting support and help in an area of your life that gets in the way of you living the life you desire.
Owner and primary clinician at Discovery and Wellness Counseling, Heidi Brouelette MA. LPC. believes offering yourself the opportunity to grow and heal is one of the biggest gifts you can give to yourself. To provide yourself with an opportunity to heal, develop strategies to manage areas of despair and frustration and increase your sense of wellbeing is something that you can always keep with you.