Therapy for Teens

Helping teenagers discover ways to manage whatever life throws at them.

It is worrisome to see your teen struggle. You hear them say things that you never thought would come out of their mouth.

Words that are full of anger, disappointment with themselves and worries that no teen should have.

It’s surprising to you that they can so easily become unglued when their big emotions hit. You watch helplessly as they break down over seemingly insignificant things.

If you’re being honest with yourself, you recognize that they do react more often. But you’ve been so busy just trying to cope with day-to-day life stress and parenting a teenager that you haven’t reached out for help.

You watch helplessly as they spend more time in their room. You’ve tried talking to them, but sometimes they become defensive or withdraw even more. You’re not sure what is going on with your teen and you know it is time to seek help.

You’ve heard teens can have anxiety or depression, and you wonder if this is what is going on. You’re pretty sure that this is more than teenage angst.  

All you know for sure is that you are tired of walking on eggshells at your home. You’re hoping they can learn to cope with their feelings in a way that is less draining for both of you.

Maybe it seems like things have been this difficult forever, or perhaps teen or your family has been through a traumatic event or a difficult family change, like a divorce or a big move recently. Either way, we know how to help teens and their families learn to navigate this tough situation more effectively.

Therapy can help teenagers struggling mental health problems like anxiety, depression or low self-esteem can learn ways to cope better.

It is estimated that 15-25% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder before they turn 19 years of age.

How do I know if my teen needs therapy help?

As their parent, you have an important role to play in noticing what is going on.

Here are a few things you can look for; 

• Having bigger reactions or feelings that would be expected for a situation
• Strong feelings of anxiety or depression that happen more often and last longer you’d expect
• Seeming very unhappy, worried, guilty, fearful, irritable, sad, or angry
• Changes in school performance
• Being more negative about themselves
• Showing less interest in or withdrawing from sports, games or other activities that they normally enjoys
• Seeming quieter than usual, less energetic or wanting to be alone often
• Falling back to less mature behaviours
• Trouble getting along with friends and/or family
• Headaches, stomach aches, or general aches and pains that have no medical reasons
• Changes in sleeping or eating

Are you the parent of a teenager that is struggling?

Sometimes teenagers feel like life’s challenges are dark, heavy, or even impossible to deal with.

They may be stuck in negativity and feeling miserable all the time. You may see signs of this around the house, at school or with their friends.

Yet many teens can feel embarrassed or afraid open up, even to very approachable parents, about what they’re really going through. Therapy provides a non-judgemental space for them to talk freely about what’s bothering them. Know that whenever appropriate we also include parents in the process as we believe deeply in the power of the parent-child relationship.

Therapy Can Help Teenagers Navigate Life’s Challenges With Greater Ease

At Bedford Couple & Family Therapy we help teens learn to rise above their challenges and start moving towards their ideal life with less stress and more calm.

We equip them with practical tools they need to discover ways to cope with difficult life stuff and discover things about themselves that they hadn’t realized before.

We specialize in offering therapy for teenagers struggling with big emotions or negative life events. We are here to help.

Let’s Get Started.

Is your teen ready to start feeling better? If your teenager is tired of feeling life is is simply too hard and they are looking for support to flourish, therapy for teens could help.