Christian Counseling for Teens: Common Problems to Address

Is your teen suffering from problems that seem overwhelming to you? Maybe you have noticed withdrawal, moodiness, and a breakdown in communication. Perhaps you see rebellion or suspect self-harm. These behaviors are common for teens and can benefit from compassionate Christian counseling.

Today’s teens face enormous pressures, much more than previous generations have experienced. They juggle the responsibilities at school, home, and work, along with social expectations and online temptations. It is common for teens to collapse under the weight of all the pressure and start acting out in fear and frustration. At Seattle Christian Counseling, we are experienced at helping teens overcome their problems.

Many teens get all the help they need from talking with a therapist. They benefit from an objective viewpoint that parents simply cannot offer due to proximity. A Christian counselor will offer your teen compassionate care as well as guidance from a biblical perspective.

Common Problems for Teens

Teens face many problems each day, and some of them can become overwhelming. These are the most common problems that we counsel teens about at Seattle Christian Counseling. If your teen is struggling with these problems, we will offer solid, Bible-based care.

Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the top problems that teens struggle with today. Their generation faces new and further-reaching anxiety provocations than you may have faced growing up. We are sensitive to the types of anxiety triggers that your teen is facing, and we will address them with care and compassion.

Your teen’s anxiety may be based on real triggers as well as perceived triggers. We will help your teen understand the roots of those triggers and practice ways to handle them when they arise. Since the roots of anxiety run so deep, it’s wise to get help from a qualified Christian counselor to address the problems and work toward biblical solutions.

Problems Related to Parents’ Divorce

It’s common for teens to suffer after their parents’ divorce. Many parents wrongly assume that teens are more resilient to the change, especially since they are older and understand the situation better than a young child could. However, studies show that divorce has long-term effects on children, no matter what age they are when parents decide to divorce. A counselor will help your teen sort through his or her feelings and grieve what was lost.

Your teen may exhibit psychosomatic symptoms like headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and growing pains that have no other explanation. Teens can also display withdrawal, unfounded fears, distrust, anger, depression, or sadness after their parents’ divorce. To handle emotions like these before they turn into bigger problems, a counselor can help your teen go through the grieving process.

Bullying

Unfortunately, many teens are under attack from peers who bully them. With social media making bullying much faster and easier, your teen could plunge from contentment to despair in a single day. Bullying can exact a heavy toll on your teen’s sense of self-worth. This can lead to other self-destructive behaviors.

If you suspect or know your teen has been bullied, it’s important to get in touch with a Christian counselor as soon as possible. Your teen’s counselor will help your teen sift the truth from the lies and affirm your teen’s priceless value in God’s eyes. Counseling after a bullying incident can restore your teen’s healthy sense of self.

Self-Harm

Teens are the age group with the highest risk of practicing self-harm. They may intentionally cause injury to their bodies as a way of coping with feelings of distress or being overwhelmed. If left untreated, self-harm can become life-threatening. It’s crucial to get professional, caring help for your teen if you suspect self-harm behavior.

The most common types of self-harm are cutting, picking at skin, hair pulling, and burning. Your teen may take greater care in covering up his or her wounds to hide evidence of self-harm. Teens who engage in self-harm often have deep underlying issues, such as bullying, abuse, or depression. If you think your teen is practicing self-harm, do not hesitate to consult with a Christian counselor.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders affect millions of teens in the United States. It is more likely that an eating disorder will develop during the teenage years than at any other age period. You may suspect that your teen has an eating disorder. If so, it’s vital for your teen to get professional counseling to overcome his or her destructive tendencies.

Anorexia and bulimia are the most common types of eating disorders. However, binge eating disorder and compulsive eating disorder affect many teens as well. Talk therapy is a good place to start in treating these disorders. If further treatment is needed, we will help you and your teen decide on the right kind of treatment plan for your family.

Why Counseling Teens is Different

As a parent of a teen, we don’t have to tell you that your teen relates to you differently than when he or she was younger. Teens pull away from their parents as a natural response in the process of growing up. Yet they are still dependent on their parents for guidance and care since their brains are not fully developed. Your teen will need you to find help for them.

We take a different approach to counseling teens versus adults at Seattle Christian Counseling. Your teen needs to know that the counselor is trustworthy and on his or her side. The counselor who works with your teen will spend time establishing the trust relationship first, so your teen will feel safe in opening up. As time progresses, the counselor will meet your teen where he or she is with acceptance, nudging your teen to take another step forward in the healing process.

If your teen’s counselor notices that family dynamics are causing unwanted stress, we can set up family counseling sessions as needed. Often, the whole family needs to be treated for the problem at hand. For example, if a teenaged girl is promiscuous, she may need reassurance that her father loves her. We will start by counseling your teen and invite you in for family or individual counseling as needs arise.

Christian Counseling for Teens

It’s common for parents to assume that since their teens are little children anymore, they can handle the pressures of life. That they are resilient to switching schools, dealing with divorce, losing a loved one, or breaking up after a romantic relationship. However, many teens need additional, outside help to walk through and overcome these pressures and losses.

Talk therapy with a compassionate counselor can help your teen find relief. We understand how your teen’s brain is developing, and we know what information your teen can handle at his or her stage of growth. You can trust us to treat your teen with the best care available.

Teens often don’t understand how to handle strong emotions, like fear, anger, and sadness. Through role-playing, we will teach your teen ways to handle times when they are triggered. We will walk your teen through the options they have for controlling their responses. This practice will empower your teen and reinstate feelings of self-worth.

You mustn’t get discouraged if your teen is not turning to you first for help. Though he or she may have turned to you first in younger years, it’s normal and even healthy for teens to look elsewhere for solutions as they become more independent. At Seattle Christian Counseling, we will be your partner in helping them to find healthy solutions to problems.

Ready to help your teen get on a healthier path? A caring, compassionate counselor is ready to help your teen overcome his or her struggles. Contact us today to set up your teen’s first visit.