Dear Parent,
Very seldom is the teen the only one with a problem. You may have a teen who is acting out, showing changes in behavior, not doing well in school, angry, unmotivated, lying, trying drugs and/or alcohol. And you think maybe I need to get them working with a therapist. The answer is probably yes. But the question is WHY are these things happening? Behind every action or feeling there is a reason why. The things listed above are simply symptoms of something else. And behind that is a reason. Something I personally say a lot: There is always a reason. So what’s the reason? Take a look into what is happening in the family. Has there been any recent changes like divorce, parents fighting, illnesses, ineffective parenting (like yelling, accusing, too much pressure about grades/college, too strict, etc). Unacceptable parenting (yelling, hitting, abusive). Is the family struggling financially? You get the picture. Is there something happening in the dynamics of the family that just might be affecting everyone? The answer is usually yes. Almost every time I talk to parents about what’s happening with their teen, there is something happening in the family. With that said, EVERYONE needs to see the therapist for family therapy! It also takes the pressure off the teen from thinking they have a problem when really the family has the problem. Plus don’t you want to know how to help your teen? Don’t you want to learn how to be the best parent you can be by getting some help in doing just that? It sends a whole different message to your teen if you get in there and be part of the solution to the problem with them.