You're noticing your tween or teen is becoming more withdrawn and preoccupied. They're not sharing as much with you as they used to, and you're starting to feel worried. You're seeing that they're overwhelmed with demands from school and bogged down by self-critical thoughts. You're noticing shifts in their habits; your tween or teen is tired all of the time, or they're not eating as much as they should be. They're more quickly irritated than ever, and you can see them working overtime to keep the worries at bay. Even when all you want is to take their fear and pain away, you still can't seem to break through and get to what's really going on.
My Approach as a Tween & Teen Therapist
The tween and teen years are tough. Kids at this age developing greater independence, heightened emotional sensitivity, and more concern with the world outside their immediate family. Worries can creep in as they think more about their future and navigate changing relationships with peers. Physical changes and a greater focus on what other people think can send body image into a tailspin. As tough as it is to be a tween or teen, it's also a difficult moment to be a parent. You might feel more worried than ever as your child takes on more and shares with you less.
As a tween and teen therapist, I have an extensive background in working with this age range and helping kids who are struggling with anxiety, body image and food, or figuring out their identity. We begin by building strong rapport; we create a therapeutic relationship where they feel a high degree of trust and feel that they can truly be seen and understood. We then work on your tween or teen's identified goals by creating new coping skills, engaging in graduated exposures to address fears, and challenging negative beliefs they hold about food, their body, or their identity. A large part of my approach is also working with parents and incorporating them into the therapeutic work as appropriate, being mindful of the tween or teen's confidentiality. Kids do best when their parents are involved and aware of what's working so they can be supported in continuing positive change at home.