Teen Counseling
Have you been fighting to understand your teen? Are you asking yourself… “What the heck am I supposed to do?” “How do I help?” “WHERE is my BABY!?” Ok, we all know it… These are some of the toughest and most developmentally important years of a person’s life. Beliefs, habits, self-esteem, and belonging are just a few big things forming during the teenage years. But how can you be expected to understand your teens fully when they do not likely understand themselves? Teens really are facing some unique situations these days. Generation Z is the first generation to grow up with the Internet all around them. In addition to worrying about their futures, education, sex, and experimentation, they are fully immersed in all the issues surrounding social media and all that entails. Teens today now deal with cyber-bullying, cat-fishing, filtered personas, unrealistic self-images, and so much more… “Do I look fat in this pic?” There’s just this artificially inflated sense of beauty and happiness because of social media. There are all the best angles and filters on photos and only posts of vacations and parties. Nobody ever shares the ugly pictures or the sad and boring times. Teens are so quick to compare their lives to their peers online – they tend to base their value on how many likes and followers they have on the different outlets… TikTok, Instagram, you name it! “I should’ve known better!” Cat-fishing is a whole other ballgame. My sweet niece was recently targeted by an older man pretending to be a teenager. THIS IS SCARY, and it is happening a lot more than we may know. Today’s teens are being lured by people pretending to be who they aren’t – they get emotionally attached, and then they get hurt. “It’s all my fault!” Instead of breaking up with friends or crushes in the traditional face-to-face way, or even with a phone call or text battle, now they are just being GHOSTED – left in the unknown. Because they do not get to have the discussion about the situation and gain the closure, they often internalize and blame themselves for not being good enough. Here are a few of the struggles we can work to overcome… • Problems Socializing • Bullying or Being Bullied • Self-Esteem & Body Image • Sexual Identity Issues & Sexuality • School & Athletic Performance • Anxiety, Stress & Pressure • Abusive Relationships • Parent/Sibling Conflict • Sadness & Depression • Self-Harm & Cutting • Unhealthy Habits • Uncertain Life Goals To all you parents who are feeling lost… we see you. Young people experience very extreme emotions that are often difficult to deal with – both for them and for you as a parent. The fact is that teens are not very likely to open up to their parents fully… Did you?? It’s not your fault – that’s just the way it typically goes. The team at WinkCounseling chooses to provide therapy for teens because it is challenging – and also so rewarding. Our team of therapists are all personally grateful to have had support from our parents and other strong mentors as teens, including our OWN therapists as well… these positive early experiences are what fueled us to become therapists ourselves! You don’t have to do this alone… we’re here to help. Sometimes, all our teens need is just for someone to listen and validate their feelings. It is a privilege to be that unbiased, expert third party that they can confide in and who will guide them and you in a positive direction. We work to normalize what they’re going through and give them a space to speak where they are not judged or in fear of saying the wrong thing or getting in trouble. We empower them to find their own solution of what’s right from wrong. We can help them see why it was important for a mistake or event to have occurred and what the take-away from that event is and how it can be a positive. We advise them on navigating relationships with others – and most importantly, their relationship with themselves. We can give YOU, as the parent, direction on how to support your teen in a healthy way where you can foster independence but also provide a firm sense of support and unconditional love. When appropriate, the family can be included in the therapy process. We can discuss realistic goals and then work to achieve those goals individually or as a family when needed. A brighter future for your teen means getting on the right path today. So many of us could have benefited from more support and guidance during our young-adult years. And, as an adult, you now know that time does not make things better. But awareness and positive action do. Reach out today at 248-558-2052.to set up your no-obligation phone consultation to see if we would be a good fit for your teen and your family!
248-558-2052
Contact | Counselers | Home
Teen Counseling
Have you been fighting to understand your teen? Are you asking yourself… “What the heck am I supposed to do?” “How do I help?” “WHERE is my BABY!?” Ok, we all know it… These are some of the toughest and most developmentally important years of a person’s life. Beliefs, habits, self-esteem, and belonging are just a few big things forming during the teenage years. But how can you be expected to understand your teens fully when they do not likely understand themselves? Teens really are facing some unique situations these days. Generation Z is the first generation to grow up with the Internet all around them. In addition to worrying about their futures, education, sex, and experimentation, they are fully immersed in all the issues surrounding social media and all that entails. Teens today now deal with cyber-bullying, cat-fishing, filtered personas, unrealistic self-images, and so much more… “Do I look fat in this pic?” There’s just this artificially inflated sense of beauty and happiness because of social media. There are all the best angles and filters on photos and only posts of vacations and parties. Nobody ever shares the ugly pictures or the sad and boring times. Teens are so quick to compare their lives to their peers online – they tend to base their value on how many likes and followers they have on the different outlets… TikTok, Instagram, you name it! “I should’ve known better!” Cat-fishing is a whole other ballgame. My sweet niece was recently targeted by an older man pretending to be a teenager. THIS IS SCARY, and it is happening a lot more than we may know. Today’s teens are being lured by people pretending to be who they aren’t – they get emotionally attached, and then they get hurt. “It’s all my fault!” Instead of breaking up with friends or crushes in the traditional face-to-face way, or even with a phone call or text battle, now they are just being GHOSTED – left in the unknown. Because they do not get to have the discussion about the situation and gain the closure, they often internalize and blame themselves for not being good enough. Here are a few of the struggles we can work to overcome… • Problems Socializing • Bullying or Being Bullied • Self-Esteem & Body Image • Sexual Identity Issues & Sexuality • School & Athletic Performance • Anxiety, Stress & Pressure • Abusive Relationships • Parent/Sibling Conflict • Sadness & Depression • Self-Harm & Cutting • Unhealthy Habits • Uncertain Life Goals To all you parents who are feeling lost… we see you. Young people experience very extreme emotions that are often difficult to deal with – both for them and for you as a parent. The fact is that teens are not very likely to open up to their parents fully… Did you?? It’s not your fault – that’s just the way it typically goes. The team at WinkCounseling chooses to provide therapy for teens because it is challenging – and also so rewarding. Our team of therapists are all personally grateful to have had support from our parents and other strong mentors as teens, including our OWN therapists as well… these positive early experiences are what fueled us to become therapists ourselves! You don’t have to do this alone… we’re here to help. Sometimes, all our teens need is just for someone to listen and validate their feelings. It is a privilege to be that unbiased, expert third party that they can confide in and who will guide them and you in a positive direction. We work to normalize what they’re going through and give them a space to speak where they are not judged or in fear of saying the wrong thing or getting in trouble. We empower them to find their own solution of what’s right from wrong. We can help them see why it was important for a mistake or event to have occurred and what the take-away from that event is and how it can be a positive. We advise them on navigating relationships with others – and most importantly, their relationship with themselves. We can give YOU, as the parent, direction on how to support your teen in a healthy way where you can foster independence but also provide a firm sense of support and unconditional love. When appropriate, the family can be included in the therapy process. We can discuss realistic goals and then work to achieve those goals individually or as a family when needed. A brighter future for your teen means getting on the right path today. So many of us could have benefited from more support and guidance during our young-adult years. And, as an adult, you now know that time does not make things better. But awareness and positive action do. Reach out today at 248-558-2052.to set up your no- obligation phone consultation to see if we would be a good fit for your teen and your family!
248-558-2052
Contact | Counselors | Home
