Adventures in Adolescence: Counseling for Teens and Parents

Adolescence is a unique developmental period. While our sons and daughters are in it, they experience a range of changes from the inside out. Hormonal fluctuations produce changes internally and externally.

This creates a wave of emotions and experiences for our teens. We can feel as if we are riding the rollercoaster with them with wild spins and drops. They may be momentous, but they aren’t always fun.

Some days, we parents may not always recognize the child we have always known. We may have disconnected from what it was like to be a teenager. We are on the other side now living it from the parental perspective. The tension it may produce in our relationships and households can seem unbearable. It won’t last forever; but while we’re in it, we can look for the lessons and the joy.

In every season, we will encounter challenges that seem insurmountable, but God remains faithful as our Father. Why would parenting our teens be any different? It doesn’t have to be marked with drudgery. We have help.

We can ask the Father how He wants to parent and teach us so we can do the same with our teens. His Spirit will direct us toward resources that can support us and the sons and daughters He loves. His wonderful Counsel isn’t limited to who He is to us personally but also extends to what He gives to us relationally.

Counseling for teens can be valuable for young people and parents in navigating what may be normal to adolescent development but is still necessary to support a changing relational dynamic. In the presence of an empathetic professional, our teens may find a safe place to express the range of thoughts and feelings that flood their minds and hearts.

Having a place where our adolescent sons and daughters can process their emotions and experiences is essential. They may not always want to confide in us or even share some of their thoughts with their peer group. Through counseling, we can champion the comprehensive health of our teens’ spiritual, mental, and emotional development.

Counseling for teens helps young people to explore and develop an identity as they learn to embrace who God has created them to be. It can be a transformative space to acknowledge one’s natural aptitudes and abilities. Counseling teaches how to embrace these gifts as coping tools to address the quality of one’s thoughts and manage uncomfortable emotions.

Counseling affords teens opportunities to develop skills that impact their social connections, both at home and beyond. It can also be impactful to help them navigate the mental and emotional distress that many teens are facing amidst the rapid and turbulent changes in society.

While our teenagers may benefit from counseling for teens, having a counselor’s perspective and support may illuminate some of our history. Invariably, counseling uncovers areas where we may need to heal, grow and change.

Sometimes, these buried elements contribute to the challenges our teens are facing in relationships with us. We don’t have to absorb any shame in this, however. A supportive counselor offers an objective perspective that can positively shift our family dynamic.

Next steps in counseling for teens and parents

Whether you join your teen for a session, pursue individual treatment, or consider family sessions, counseling that transforms one has the potential to benefit all. When done together, you can embrace the opportunity to advance, not just individually, but also as a family.

Contact us at Encinitas Christian Counseling to schedule an appointment with a professional for your teen and yourself. You and your family will benefit from the positive nature of counseling and perhaps learn to embrace your current adventures in adolescence.