Therapy Options For Troubled Youth
The teenage years can be especially troubling for many parents. In some cases, teenagers require additional help to get through adolescence, perhaps because they have experienced trauma or face some underlying mental health issues.
Are you looking for the right kind of therapist to help you with your troubled teen? These are a few treatment options you might consider if you believe therapy is right for your child.
Individual Therapy
Many teenagers benefit from solo therapy. Individual therapy will work on exploring issues like trauma and negativity. A therapist can examine your teenager's destructive behaviors and determine where they might come from.
Additionally, individual therapy helps to get to the root of unhealthy relationships and patterns so that they can address some of their troubled behavior. The goal is often to change these patterns for the better.
Family Therapy
Family therapy involves bringing in several family members for a therapy session. For example, a child and his or her parents might attend sessions, and sometimes siblings and other close relatives may come to the session.
The goal of family therapy is to resolve conflicts that the entire family is part of. The therapy sessions determine how each individual in the family might contribute to the issues. Each family member learns about their role in the family and learns how to change behaviors that will also lead to changes in the teenager.
Group Therapy or Support Groups
Support groups and group therapy sessions involve peers working together to discuss their issues. These issues could include anything from physical abuse to substance abuse. Your teenager will learn from their peers, which is often much more effective than learning from somebody who seems "out of touch" to them.
The groups involved in these sessions may include just a few people with very similar conflicts to large groups of people with many different types of conflicts.
Combination Therapy
In many cases, you should consider multiple types of therapy for your child. Individual therapy sessions can be a lot of help, but sometimes the entire family might need to come together to manage its own dynamic.
Consult With a Professional
Troubled youth treatments are available to help you and your family get through this period. If you have questions about treatment options available to you and your child, you should consult with a professional. Treatment is available to alleviate your fears and change the patterns of your child.