The various pressures that adolescent children experience, including the changes occurring within themselves, are among the major social concerns of today’s parents, and rightly so. As a result of the inability to cope with all the changes that happen during this life stage, many teens and pre-teens develop extreme behavioral problems as well as eating disorders or even addictions to drugs or drinking. While counseling for troubled teens and tweens is often recommended, the entire family can benefit from the expertise of a professional counselor.
Many parents of teenagers or pre-teens lose confidence in themselves and in their ability to parent due to the difficulties and behavior problems their children face. More and more are reaching out to psychologists for guidance. Family counselors work with these parents to help them understand what is happening to their adolescents physically, mentally, emotionally and socially.
The rapid physical growth adolescents undergo, not to mention the difficulty of puberty, often makes teens and pre-teens feel clumsy, uncomfortable and even embarrassed about their bodies. Teens and pre-teens can often seem like they are stubborn, argumentative and exasperating for the sheer sake of being contrary, but this isn’t the case. It can be hard for parents to remember that teens and tweens are very concerned with expressing themselves and also protecting their constantly shifting and expanding social scene. New peer pressures come with new friends, and the adolescent experience is full of extraordinary ups and downs — one moment tearful and the next one full of joy. Is it any wonder that parents may find it difficult to cope? Family counselors can help greatly during these times.
Usually, both one-and-one and group therapy with the entire family is part of the process. Speaking to each family member individually can help the counselor understand his or her perspectives and feelings about different situations. Then, during sessions with the entire family, the counselor will focus on aiding communication in the group to help each individual understand what everyone is feeling, and get to the root of some of the destructive behaviors that are occurring. This type of therapy can also help each person understand how to communicate with each other in order to prevent misunderstandings, alienation and other problems.
Many parents benefit from learning new ways to instill important life skills like self-discipline, problem solving, and effective anger management and time management, and this is something that family counselors can assist with. Learning how to cope with adolescent ups and downs, plus understand the changes their teens and pre-teens are experiencing while trying to establish a settled identity can help parents realize that continued pressure from adults for them to “grow up” will only fuel inconsistency, discouragement and perhaps even anger.
As the old saying goes, no one is an island. However, adolescents need time, space and near-infinite patience to blossom into the amazing adults they can become. Family counseling can help parents, teens and preteens, and even other siblings better understand each other and learn new ways to effectively deal with and overcome behavioral problems and other challenges.
In Orange County, California, if you are concerned about your adolescent child’s behavior, contact Professional Psychology for family counseling in San Clemente. They provide interactive, solution-based therapy with compassion and understanding, specializing in pre-teen and teen concerns as well as family and parenting issues. Powered by SEO 2.0 Services