Adolescent Counselling Calgary
Adolescence Therapy in Calgary For Emotional and Social Well Being
Conflict Is Common In Families
When referring to young people’s well-being, we need to define who we mean by young people. It is common (although not universal) for young people to be defined as up to and including the age of 24 years. A thorough literature review by WHO led to the definition of “Adolescents” as individuals in the 10-19 years age group and “Youth” as the 15-24 year age group.
Being a young person is hard, being the parent to a young person can be even harder – if your family is overwhelmed with conflict or if you believe that your child would benefit from extra support, adolescent counselling services in Calgary are available. Conflict and stress are common during adolescence. When this happens many adolescents and parents tend to run away from each other. However, adolescence can be a confusing time for both parents and their children. It’s best to involve yourself in minor conflicts by encouraging open communication with each other.
Young Adolescents Are More Influenced By Their Peers Than Adults
Young people can be easily influenced. Their brains are still developing and this makes them more susceptible to peer pressure than adults. This is a good thing though, because this means they are more likely to listen to their friends than strangers. However, this also means that they can become easily influenced by the wrong crowd. If your child is suddenly embracing bad habits that never used to be there, you may want to seek out adolescent counselling Calgary services. Adolescent counsellors know what it takes to tackle big problems with young minds.
Child and Adolescent counselling differs from therapy that an adult receives because it takes into account the age and developmental status of a younger client. A 25-year-old adult has had years to develop coping strategies, problem solving skills, and assertiveness whereas a child or adolescent may not have developed these skills as fully.
In adolescents, everything is further complicated by increases in social and peer pressure. Adolescents spend much of their time with their peers, doing things with their peers, and trying to impress their peers. This drives their behaviour in almost every area – including relationships with teachers, family members, and friends.
Parents Play A Key Role In The Emotional Development Of Their Teens.
Adolescence is a time where your teenaged (or tween-aged) child can change drastically. They go from a pretty normal kid to one who seems moody, withdrawn and difficult to connect with. While this stage of life is quite nerve-wracking for parents, you need to know that you can help with this difficult transition.
Parent-teen relationships have been a perennial issue among child psychotherapists. From the onset of adolescence, parents may feel their children slipping away from them, and out of the house. This can be a stressful time for both parent and teen as they strive to find some new balance in their relationship.
Every teen goes through a period of emotional development and requires parent support. During the adolescent period, teens need guidance that is not only behavior oriented but also about their feelings. This is the time when kids begin to understand themselves, and this self-understanding is shaped by peer relationships, school stressors, and changes in family life.
In Calgary, there are professionals who specialize in working with people in the adolescence stage of their lives. These professionals include:
- adolescent counsellors,
- adolescent psychologists, and
- adolescent therapists.
Adolescent counsellors work one-on-one with adolescents as well as their families, helping them cope with problems related to this awkward time in life.
Adolescence Is Hard Enough Without The Pressures Of Life Getting In The Way.
What's Going On With My Adolescent?
The teenage years can be a very challenging time for many adolescents and their parents. However, during this period of development, there is so much growth happening within the young person. From physical (brain growth) change to social/emotional (beginning to develop solid friendships) change. Research has shown that the teenage years are also times when adolescents begin to question everything, challenge previously held beliefs and continue to develop independence and autonomy. Just these three areas alone make the adolescence phase hard enough without having the pressures of everyday life getting in the way.
So Where Do I Turn?
Maybe you’re a parent of a teenager who feels they are having problems with peers, in school, or making decisions. Maybe you have a child that has depression or anxiety, or even abuse issues.
So where do you go if your child is going through a difficult time and you need some information for how to go about helping them and mentoring them? Going to a private adolescent counsellor might be an option.
While It Is Important For You To Parent Your Adolescent, You Might Need Extra Help
While it is important for you to parent your child in a way that makes sense to you and your family values, sometimes you might need extra help:
- Are you having problems with your teen’s moods and behavior?
- Are they not doing well at school?
- Are you trying to determine if your child might have a mental illness; or
- Do you believe your child may have an abuse problem?
Your first step may be to get an assessment of their behavior from a professional.
Adolescence is a crucial stage in any child’s life. It is the time when their personality comes into being, and they become exposed to a variety of challenges. During these years, parents often play an advisory role in helping their child overcome the hurdles of this stage. However, for parents – who are typically preoccupied with daily responsibilities and pressures of life – guiding and guiding an adolescent can prove to be very difficult.
The inherent conflicts that take place during the adolescent stage also accelerate the need for professional help. Whether your teen has begun to exhibit challenging behaviour or is having problems at school, it may be time to get some extra assistance.
Adolescent Counselling Calgary Is Not Just Limited To Traditional Therapy
Adolescent counselling also includes adolescent education for parents of the children aged between 10-19 years old. Parents who have children between this age group may find it hard to tackle adolescent behaviour, emotional development, social and communication skills of the adolescents that they are raising.
Listed below are some of the issues faced by adolescents:
- Stress, Anxiety And Depression
Stress, Anxiety and Depression are probably the most common health issues that young people will experience in their adolescence. Prevention is always better than cure, and if stress, anxiety and depression can be prevented they should be.
- Peer Pressure and Eating Disorders
Peer pressure and eating disorders play a huge role in the problems adolescents face. Peer pressure is one of the biggest challenges, the pressure can be intense in some cases leading to severe problems like eating disorders. – It is important to note that incredibly serious issues of eating disorders would be referred to AHS (Alberta Health Services) Physicians and programming.
- Sex Education, Healthy Living And Coping Skills
It’s important that teenagers know about safe sex, how to live healthily and deal with the many emotions they encounter every day. All of these aspects are essential to growing up and can be a deciding factor in whether a teenager’s lifestyle is positive or negative.
- Learning Disabilities, Learning Differences And Social Skills
Learning disabilities, learning differences and social skills are very broad topics. On a continuum, there are specific learning disabilities that range in severity from mild to severe. Social skill development may be impacted at home, school, church or in the community. Learning differences may severely impact a student’s ability to learn in the traditional classroom environment. In each case, it is important to talk to someone who has knowledge in this area. If necessary, students are referred out for diagnosis and specialized services.
- Self-Esteem And Self-Confidence
Self-esteem and self-confidence are the fuel for our lives. Children and adolescents learn these skills through healthy role modelling, emotional support, praise and protection. When young people lack these qualities, they typically experience some kind of distress.
Developing self-esteem and confidence in adolescents is an essential aspect of counselling. These attributes are the cornerstones to providing emotional security, and are especially important during the difficult transition to adulthood
Helping Your Teen May Be Difficult But It Is Possible To Find Solutions
Difficulties between parents and their teenager are not uncommon. Many times the teen begins to feel as if it is a parental war; and fights with parents may escalate without finding solutions to the problem. Problems can be about any matter, from self – esteem to image of society. A parent has to fight against his/her own difficulties during conflicts with their teenager as they are the child who needs to be guided in the proper direction. This guidance should come on the basis of certain principles based upon our moral values and knowledge which will help us develop special relationships with our children, which will in turn create trust, understanding and love among them.
Adolescent counselling in Calgary helps you get guidance from a qualified counsellor. It is never easy for a parent to see their child struggling with life and experiencing challenges. As a parent, it is natural for you to want to provide the best support possible to your child, by working with an adolescent counsellor you can aim to understand your child, ultimately helping to guide them through any issues they are facing and helping them grow into a healthy adult.
FAQ
Child and Adolescent counselling in Calgary is different from traditional counselling because it addresses the stages of development that are unique to a younger age group. It acknowledges that children and adolescents experience some particular problems, and their way of thinking and behaving will differ from an adult’s. In other words, a child or adolescent has different needs compared to an adult in terms of treatment.
If you’re struggling to get your teenager interested in counselling, be sure to get a session on your own. It’s hard to help your teen if you don’t know what’s up. If possible, go to the school guidance counselor and ask. They will have some knowledge of local procedures. You should also find out if the counsellor is comfortable working with parents and teens. No one can be a good teacher or guide unless they themselves are willing to learn.
When your teen is having problems, it might be tempting to try to handle the problems yourself. However, problems such as depression, anxiety, refusal to go to school, suicidal thoughts, and even eating disorders can become more severe and harder to manage with time. Young people that fit into the above criteria often need to be supported through out-patient or in-patient treatment and will be referred to an Alberta Health Services program suitable to their specific needs as a young adult.
Book Your Appointment Online
We are currently accepting new clients however being a good fit is everything in a therapeutic alliance. When you’re ready, please contact us for a free 30-minute phone consultation to see if we match your needs and goals.
