TEENS
The teenage years can be tough for you and your child. Teens test limits, pull away and can feel misunderstood as they try to figure out who they are. Parents can feel frustrated, powerless and shut out. The trick for parents is to stay engaged, set limits but still allow your teen the room to take healthy risks. The intensity of this stage can strain family ties no matter how good family relationships have been in the past. Therapy is a good place to look at identity, sexuality, drug / alcohol use, disrespect, school problems and build skills to navigate these issues.
There will be times when your teen will benefit from being seen individually to have a safe place to talk about challenges they are facing. Sometimes it will be important to meet as a family for support and education about how to get along during this life stage.