(888) 576-3999Counseling for Troubled Teens as the World Opens Up
Are you worried about your teen as the world returns back to normal? Does it seem like the recent changes, while welcome, have led your teen to feel discomforted and anxious? That’s perfectly understandable. After all, very few people lived through what we’ve all just lived through. Going through months (and more) of online learning, all that time on social media, cooped up at home – it’s impossible to overstate how difficult that could be on kids. Our counseling for troubled teens professionals has some advice about how to prepare for a world that’s recently expanded.
Making Schedules and Sticking to Them
It may seem obvious, it may seem onerous, but we strongly recommend strategizing your family’s schedules. That means having a personal schedule for teen(s) as well as your family. That doesn’t mean that you have to have everything down to the minute, of course, but it can go a long way towards helping to keep everyone on track. Moreover, keep the lines of communication open. Adjustments will need to be made, as they always do. But, having a schedule and keeping to it can pay real dividends for everyone in the family.
Opening Up to the More Difficult Questions
After going through the pandemic, it makes sense to want to shy away from hard questions. If your teen has questions about struggling (even with the concept of opening up), just feeling really depressed, or even suicidal ideation, it’s understandable to want to talk to them about, well, anything else. However, don’t shy away from it. Your teen has real questions that deserve real answers. A strong predictor of kids’ resilience is whether their parents are available – and keeping it together. Answering your teen’s questions honestly can do a world of good for your teen as well as for your family.
Agency and Reframing for the World Ahead
That said, not all of this period is going to be “gloom and doom.” Praising your child (as well as yourself) for being able to keep it together through this time, for adapting, for being flexible, for bouncing back, is critically important. So much of the time to come is going to be about reframing what we’ve all been through. Helping your teen to find their sense of agency isn’t just important for the pandemic. It’s also important for their lives going forward.
Counseling for Troubled Teens and More at Insight 
Remember: your child doesn’t have to struggle with drugs and alcohol to be welcome at Insight Treatment. Indeed, so many of the teens who come here do so due to depression and other mental health concerns. Here, they’ll find a welcoming community of teens going through very similar struggles (as well as mental health professionals who can help your teens to find the underlying causes for their mental health concerns). We’re always glad to schedule a free initial consultation with our Clinical Director. You can do that through our site or by calling (888) 295-9995.