Youth
Ages 15-18

Any parent of a teenager knows, they have a lot of emotional ups and downs. What with the pressures of school, their social lives and the general confusion that comes with growing up, it’s no wonder they occasionally get a little overwhelmed.

Counselling can help with a whole range of issues, but some of the most common include:

• Divorce and separation: Have you and your partner split up recently? Teenagers often struggle when it comes to significant life changes and separation or divorce can trigger a whole range of emotions: sadness, anger, fear, regret – or even guilt.

• Bereavement: Has a member of the family died recently – or even within the past few years? If your son or daughter was particularly close to that person, they may benefit from having someone to help them process their feelings.

• Bullying: Bullying can be particularly damaging because it so often goes unnoticed. If you think your son or daughter is being bullied, try to talk to them about it - and contact their school.  Counselling can be an effective way of helping them re-build their self-esteem and resilience following problems with bullying.   

• Stress at school: School exams, college entrance exams, career choices, and relationship problems abound during the teen years. Identity exploration, self-esteem, and a sense of belonging all play important parts in the developing teenage brain. Many struggle to deal with this – and worry about the consequences of not fitting in or achieving academically.

• Family issues: Often, what your teen is going through may relate to what’s happening with the family as a whole. In these cases, Family Counselling can be a good option.