Adolescent counselling
Adolescent counselling is counselling aimed at young people to help them make sense of their feelings, behaviors and thoughts and entails the use of unique techniques that draw out the expressive nature of a young person like art therapy or more traditional approaches like talking therapy. This form of counselling is important in helping guiding kids transitioning into adulthood and to understand themselves better.
The adolescence stage is the period when a child transitions from being a child to becoming an adult and usually takes place between the ages of 10 and 19. During this period, the young adult starts experiencing a great deal of mental and physical changes. Physically, adolescents start seeing changes in their bodies, a process referred to as puberty, and is a time that leaves them confused as the changes in hormones start affecting their moods and thoughts.
Often, when these changes start setting in, adolescents become extremely sensitive and start experiencing mood swings and fluctuations in their confidence levels. If not properly guided or counselled, adolescents could take to their own devices and start making their own judgements, which are often clouded. As a result, they could end up following the wrong path and becoming prey to negative things that could ruin their lives like drugs, peer pressure and such. It is for this reason that adolescents should consider counselling to address their feelings and thoughts allowing them to grow into healthy, sound-minded adults.
Treatment Process
Adolescent counselling is practical and solutions-focused. Your counsellor will:
> Speak with both you and your teenager to gain a clear, balanced understanding of the situation
> Clarify barriers to well-being, and address them
> Establish achievable outcomes that both you and your teenager are motivated to achieve (more peace at home, being able to go out with friends, practicing honest communication)
> Help you and your teenager define a shared understanding of what needs to happen for everyone in the family to have their needs met
> Co-ordinate counselling sessions involving only your teenager, only yourself, and joint sessions to review progress
> Make recommendations of ways you can support your teenager
Celebrate breakthroughs and successes
> Review the plan, and maintain the improvements achieved