It is hard for teens who struggle with emotional issues. It is also difficult for the parent who is seeking ways to help their child. Often both parent and child feel helpless to the situation and do not know where to turn for help. What are the options, or choices, for helping teens who are struggling?
The first step is usually to see a therapist in your area. Look for one specifically trained to help young adults. You can often get a referral from a doctor or high school counselor. Teen issues can have roots that are hard to determine by family members. An outside resource can help get into the problem and look for what is causing them because they are not involved in the family system and can be more objective. Therapists are also trained to know what to look for and what can be of benefit. It is important to find someone who treats each person as a unique individual because even though a few people might have the same symptoms, they can stem from very different causes and will need different treatments.
If a therapist is unable to help with the needs of the adolescent, then a treatment center or wilderness program can be sometimes helpful. This allows the troubled teen to get a new perspective from being in a new environment with supportive counselors and daily structure. The counselors see the young adult daily and are able to better assess his or her problem and what is creating the issues.
A new, and very exciting, approach to helping adolescent issues is independent living treatment programs. These are perfect for those who have already been to a treatment center or wilderness program, or who do not have the severity of problems which would necessitate in-patient treatment. The independent living program will help the adolescent (over 18 years old) or young adult find their own apartment, and attend college or get a job, just like they would living on their own. There will be a team of counselors and therapists assisting them daily to make sure they are staying on their co-created behavior plan. It really is the best of both worlds because he or she will be able to have the independence of living on their own, and making choices associated with that, but also having daily support to make better choices.
There is help out there. Keep looking until you find the perfect match for you or your adolescent.
Article written by Living Well Transitions.
We assist our adolescent and young adult clients in reducing the harm from unproductive or high-risk behaviors – helping them create a balance between opportunity and responsibility – through therapy, counseling, community networking, social skills enhancement, educational and vocational support, and additional resources as needed.
For more information see www.livingwelltransitions.com
