Today’s generation of teenagers are facing mental health needs beyond what prior generations have before. Between earlier access to social media, multiple school shootings, recent hurricanes, and a global pandemic, teens in St. Pete are feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, scared, and confused going from one moment to the next in life. With so much going on in our teen’s lives, finding the right therapist for them to talk to and learn healthy coping skills is more important than ever.
Teens today are facing higher rates of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, exposure to violence, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. According to the CDC in 2023:
40% of teens reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness
29% of teens reported poor mental health
20% of teens reported seriously considering attempting suicide
16% of teens reported having made a suicide plan
9% of teens reported attempting suicide
These statistics demonstrate the critical state many of our teens are in on a daily basis. Unfortunately, these rates have been on the rise since 2013. Now is the time for us to take action for our teens and help them receive the care they need so that these rates can begin to decline in the years to come.
One of the best ways to help our teens overcome these statistics is to provide them with the best therapeutic care. Therapy can be incredibly beneficial for teens in a variety of ways. For one, it provides teens a safe place to receive emotional support. The therapy room allows space for a teen to express their emotions and experiences while also processing their thoughts and feelings. For many teens, talking to their parents or teachers hits too close to home and they do not feel they can share their true thoughts or feelings with those people. Having a third party and completely objective person in their lives to talk to creates that safety for them.
While in therapy, teens also have the ability to develop and learn healthy coping skills that they can use for a lifetime. Therapy teaches strategies for dealing with stress, peer pressure, and other challenges teens face on a regular basis. Conflict resolution skills and better communication can also be gained during therapy. This can open the door for teens to improve their self-confidence as well as increase their ability to bounce back quickly from setbacks and face challenges with a more positive outlook. Developing these skills as a teen will set them up for future success as adults. It is never too early for someone to learn how to cope effectively with different life circumstances.
When it comes to finding a teen therapist, there are a few key aspects to look for. A good teen therapist specifically specializes in working with teens, has training in teen therapy, and has experience working with families. Throughout a therapist’s training they have the opportunity to specialize in different presentations, including teens. By specializing in working with teens, therapists are given multiple opportunities to work with teens and their families in a variety of settings. This specific training creates a therapist who is approachable and knows how to communicate with teens effectively. This may look like playing games or drawing during sessions or even allowing the teen freedom in expressing themselves however they would like (within safety reasons of course!). Knowing your teen’s therapist has this training will provide you with the comfort of knowing your teen is in good hands.
When a therapist is trained and has experience working with teens, they also are knowledgeable about what therapies work best with teens. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is great for teens as it teaches them the connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. After building rapport with the teen and gaining their trust, a therapist can use CBT to help teens learn to recognize their unhelpful thoughts, challenge their beliefs, test out new real-life situations, and develop coping strategies for all kinds of life moments. These are skills that they will be able to apply throughout their lives with any situation they face.
Another form of therapy for teens, that stems from CBT, is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). DBT is great for helping teens not only work on the connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors but to also help them tolerate distress, regulate their emotions and develop positive interpersonal relationship skills. Each of these sets of skills are vital for teens to learn before they are out on their own. They help teens learn how to cope with a variety of life situations, make and maintain friendships, and take others’ perspectives in order to make well thought out decisions.
For teens who have been exposed to violence and/or other traumas, EMDR therapy can be a good source of healing for them. EMDR, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, can help teens reprocess traumatic memories. With the rise of violence amongst teens and schools rising, this form of therapy will be most beneficial to teens who have witnessed these events and need help healing from them.
Now that you know why therapy can be helpful for teens and what type of therapy can be most beneficial, you may be asking “how do I find the right therapist in St. Pete?”. While a simple google search will present you with many options, here are some tips for searching for local therapists:
- Know your area and how far you will be willing to travel for therapy. While most therapists offer online therapy, teens greatly benefit from being able to go in person to see their therapist. Being in person helps create even more of a safe place for teens.
- Know your availability for going to therapy. Most families are going to need after school hours for their teen’s therapy. Make sure the therapist you find has availability that matches yours.
- Know your budget. Each and every therapist and clinic has a different approach to what they charge. Some take insurance while others are private pay. Know what your budget will allow for your teen and be open to spending more if it means finding the right therapist for your teen.
- Read reviews and check credentials. As you look online, you want to make sure the therapist you are contacting is a therapist who specializes in working with teens, not just a therapist with an age range that includes teens. You also want to make sure they are licensed to provide therapy in the state of Florida.
- Ask for recommendations from others. You may have family friends, teachers, school counselors, or other health care providers who can recommend a good teen therapist. Look to people you trust to see if they have had any experience with a good therapist for their teen. Word of mouth recommendations are like gold!
Once you have found the right therapist for your teen, you are going to want to be prepared for what will happen next. Generally speaking, all therapists have an intake process they go through that will look similar to this:
- Parents will complete paperwork for their teen outlining their concerns and why they are seeking therapy at this time. Included in this paperwork may be an informed consent to therapy, release of information to other providers, and a billing agreement.
- The first session (and possibly future sessions) will involve the parents and the teen. Some therapists keep everyone together the entire time while others may meet with the teen and the parents separately. During this time, everyone will get an opportunity to share why they are seeking therapy and what they hope to get out of their time with the therapist.
- Goals will be set by both the teen and the parents with insights from the therapist. Both parents and the teen will be able to outline what goals they have for the teen. An example of goals are: decreasing anxiety, increasing coping skills, making friends, developing social skills, etc. Goals can be anything that is important to the teen and the parents.
- A therapy plan will be made for the teen moving forward. This can include how often the teen and the therapist will meet, how involved the parents want/need to be in the therapy, and if other providers will be needed in treatment.
Teen mental health needs are on the rise across the country. Everyday new teens are receiving diagnoses that can be life changing and they are in need of help navigating this “new direction” in their lives. Finding the right therapist for your teen can seem daunting and overwhelming at first. With the help of the right therapist, your teen can begin to learn and develop the skills needed to grow into the amazing adult they are meant to be.
If you have a teen or know of a teen who is in need of a therapist, please contact our office today. We have a group of qualified therapists who specialize in working with teens and their families that would love to come alongside you in this journey.
