Is your teen under a lot of stress? Do they not seem as happy as they once did? Are they shutting you out and it’s hard to know what’s going on in their life?

Common Life Challenges Among Adolescents

Teens can face some serious life challenges that impact their mental health and well-being. This is not an exhaustive list of reasons for why an adolescent may want to speak with me by any means, but it is a helpful starting point:

• Stress – A little stress is normal in life and can even be motivating, but too much stress can cause burnout at any age. Many teens face tremendous amounts of stress to perform well academically, balance sports and other extracurricular activities, and be accepted by their peers.
• Relational problems – Teens who are bullied at school, struggling with friendship or relationship problems, and/or experiencing parental or family conflict at home, can suffer, and often alone. If not dealt with, the aftermath of such relational problems can translate into other problems, such as substance use and suicidal ideation, as well as result in significant problems later on in life.
• Anxiety/Depression – During adolescence, hormone levels are skyrocketing, making teens emotionally out of control at times. Subsequently, many teens will suffer from anxiety and depression related symptoms, which are important to address early on, in order to learn healthy coping mechanisms and to prevent the symptoms from worsening over time.
• Loss – We often think of loss as the death of a loved one or pet, but it can also come in the form of a falling out with a best friend or your teen’s first heartbreak. Loss can also happen when a family moves and/or when your adolescent attends a new school. It’s important that children and adolescents have a safe place to process and adjust to the loss, as loss is unfortunately an inevitable part of life and it’s important for teens to learn how to adapt to and cope with such hardships throughout life.

If your adolescent is struggling right now and could benefit from some therapeutic support, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Many times, the problem is not merely a "phase" that the adolescent will “outgrow”, but rather, is best addressed early on.