Adolescent therapy
Adolescence is a hugely challenging developmental stage, as the brain and body are undergoing rapid transformation and there is a push towards independence, while parents experience an intense responsibility to protect and guarantee safety. Meanwhile, social media and peer-group influence can be incredibly difficult to navigate. To make things worse, the world is an increasingly frightening place. According to a recent mental health and climate change survey of 16 to 25 year olds across ten countries globally, 75% of respondents said they were frightened for the future, and 50% said they regularly feel anxious, angry, sad and powerless about climate change (AVAAZ, 2021).
I see adolescent issues as very much part of the system of the society and family they live in: when the family is struggling internally and due to external issues, the adolescent will struggle, too. Likewise, if the adolescent is in crisis, and does not know how to talk about it, the family will be thrown into turmoil. I frequently work with multi-cultural families, and often with third culture kids. I have a strong appreciation of the particular complexities such adolescents face in adapting to the world. Therapy may include some family sessions, all in agreement with the adolescent.
Therapy is a safe space where the adolescent can learn to put words to their emotions, so they can gradually speak about whatever they are going through without judgment. It is also a space of psycho-education, where they will learn to understand what they are going through from the perspective of psychological theory and recent research into neuropsychological development, trauma and social change.
I have experience of working with adolescents in the context of low self-esteem, anxiety (including climate change anxiety), gender identity, depression, parental separation, moving country/schools, choosing a higher-education path, dealing with eating disorders, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and bullying.
Please get in touch if you think we might be a good fit. Therapy is online, using Zoom. Unfortunately, I have limited availability, but strive to answer all queries within 24 hours.