Teen Therapy In New York City
Is Your Child Experiencing Problems With Daily Functioning?
Have you noticed worrisome shifts in your child or teen’s behavior and habits? Have they lost interest in favorite activities or started struggling in school? Perhaps you’re concerned about signs of anxiety or depression in your child. Or maybe you’re wondering if they’re sleeping too much, overeating, or experiencing other physical symptoms that are atypical. Are all these factors creating stress and tension in family life?
Watching your youngster enter the turbulent waters of adolescence is often difficult. Conflicts with parents, problems at school, and social rejection can all lead to anxiety and self-doubt. Other big changes—such as moving, switching schools, serious illness or injury, parental conflict, or the death of a loved one—likewise may create emotional issues. Withdrawal and avoidance are common reactions, as are acting out and reckless behavior. You know that some changes are a natural part of your child growing older, but a part of you might be worried that they’re dealing with something more serious.
You may have tried to help your child on your own but found that your efforts haven’t produced the results you were hoping for. Perhaps you even pursued teen or child counseling before but didn’t feel it was effective. And after giving things a few months to see if the situation would improve on its own, it’s only gotten worse. Every day, you worry about how overwhelmed your child is. All you want is for your child to feel safe, happy, and confident, but you don’t know what else to do.
Fortunately, there is a way to help your child or teen in New York City build emotional resilience and gain life skills that will help them now and in the future.
Emotional Struggles Are Common For Teens
The pre-teen and teenage years are naturally full of big changes as children develop into young adults. Puberty introduces new physical and emotional development that can be uncomfortable, embarrassing, and even a little scary. This age group begins to have a greater awareness of mortality. They’re excited but also nervous about the coming independence of adulthood, and they may be testing boundaries at home or in school.
Making things more difficult, constant access to social media and video games offers an easy escape that many kids use as a way to avoid issues rather than dealing with them in a healthy way. At the same time, social media can be another source of stress, giving your child another place where they have to worry about bullying and how they are perceived. And while this sort of pressure can be difficult for anyone to deal with, it is especially hard for kids who are still figuring out who they are and what they want in life.
Moodiness, new social groups, and less involvement with parents are all natural parts of your child growing older, but that can leave you feeling disconnected and unsure of how to help them. And you know that blooming adolescents sometimes experience challenges that go beyond what is typical. In fact, studies from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration indicate that almost 21 percent of teens experience a mental health or addictive disorder that affects their ability to function. If left untreated, these mental health issues can become exacerbated and stretch into adulthood.
As a parent, sorting out what’s normal childhood behavior from what’s not can be tricky. Your child or teen may come to you and ask for help directly, but this isn’t always the case. While it can be uncomfortable, reaching out to a family counselor for guidance during these times of uncertainty can give your child the support they need to feel secure, supported, and confident about themselves and their future.
Therapy Can Help Your Child Or Teen Build A Stronger Future
As a therapist in New York City, with over a decade of experience working with adolescents and teens, I have seen that the right guidance, support, and setting can make all the difference. Children and teens need a warm, comfortable place to talk about their feelings and struggles; a place where they will be met with compassion and won’t have to worry about being judged. As your child begins to see that they have a safe space to share their feelings freely, they can begin to fully process what’s going on in their lives that is creating their anxiety and depression. The more comfortable they are opening up about their experience and needs, the better they will ultimately feel.
Sessions are always tailored to fit the unique needs of each child and family. I’m not here to tell your child how they should feel right now—that sort of pressure can actually increase feelings of anxiety or reduce self-esteem. Rather, I meet everyone right where they are and make sure they know they are not alone. I don’t want to add stress to your child’s life, but instead aim to bring humor and a sense of playfulness to our time together.
In our sessions, I will help your child learn to recognize and push back against negative thoughts that are contributing to their distressing emotions and symptoms. Using a scientifically-supported approach known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), your adolescent or teen can see how their thoughts affect their emotions and behavior. And as they learn to recognize and challenge harmful self-beliefs, they can begin responding to life’s stressors with greater insight and confidence.
Along with CBT, I draw from psychodynamic and humanistic approaches when providing counseling for kids and teens. Gaining an understanding of their own personality and life history is beneficial for children of any age who are seeking help. We’ll work together to help your adolescent or teen identify events and family dynamics that are contributing to their emotional difficulties. We will also find ways to empower them as individuals so they can express their needs clearly and become proactive agents of change in their own lives.
As a parent, you can also benefit from therapy for teens by learning effective ways to help your child cope and navigate life. But because teens are often more comfortable without their parents present during sessions, I typically meet with you separately. During our time together, I’ll teach you specific skills tailored to your child’s needs and your goals as a family. Of course, if your child is younger or specific family communication issues need to be addressed, we will hold sessions with everyone present.
My ultimate goal is to find the best way for your adolescent or teen to experience healing and build a strong emotional foundation for the years ahead. Through therapy, your child can truly find a way out of the darkness and into a bright future.
You may still have questions about therapy for teens or children…
How will I bring up the idea of therapy with my child? How will they react?
You may be understandably nervous about bringing up the idea of therapy with your child. But it’s important to sit down and have a calm conversation about it rather than ignoring the problem. Often, kids know they need help and will be open to the idea.
In case they are hesitant about therapy at first, come prepared to explain how therapy can help them improve the painful parts of their life. Emphasizing the supportive, non-judgmental nature of therapy is also important. You want them to know that you’re not judging them or wanting them to go just to make you happy. Rather, the goal is to help them find a way to be happier.
How long will therapy take? And how much will it cost?
It’s important to remember that the issues your child is facing didn’t start overnight. It takes time for problems to develop, and it will take time for them to resolve. However, we usually see some improvement within the first few months of therapy.
To keep you updated, I will meet with you every couple of months to assess your child’s progress and discuss future direction. Consider that you would spend thousands of dollars on physical healthcare if your child needed it; their emotional well-being is even more important and worth the cost. Helping your child create a strong emotional foundation for the rest of their life is one of the best gifts you can give them.
How will therapy actually help my child or teen?
For better or worse, children often have a natural resistance to talking openly with their parents as they grow. Even if they tell you about almost everything in their lives, chances are there’s a topic they aren’t comfortable bringing up. Parents are understandably very emotionally connected to what’s going on in their child’s life. Sometimes, this connection makes parents react in ways that aren’t helpful. In more than 10 years providing therapy for teens and adolescents, I’ve found that having a neutral, supportive, well-trained therapist to talk with about their struggles provides enormous benefits. In fact, 78 percent of children who receive treatment see significant improvement in quality of life, and early detection can help your child get the diagnosis and treatment they need.
Help Your Child Find A Renewed Sense Of Hope For The Future
I have seen firsthand the power of therapy in helping children and teens find relief from anxiety, depression, and other issues that threaten their well-being. I encourage you to reach out to my office by calling 516-666-0374 for a consultation. You can also reach me by email at hello@pinnyfarkas.com. Together, we can help them build a brighter tomorrow.