Adolescence can be a hard thing to navigate. During this transitional time, children between the ages of 13 and 17 are experiencing a lot of change in almost every aspect of their life. In addition to hormonal and physical changes, they are also tasked with establishing their identity while balancing pressures and expectations placed on them by society, media and their peers. The majority of adolescents struggle to get through this time period without experiencing feelings of loneliness and confusion. If you’re located in Southern Florida and are caring for a struggling teen, schedule an appointment with Abby Bernstein, experienced adolescent therapist in Boca Raton.
Adolescent Therapy
As teens begin to find their way in the world, it’s important that they feel as though they’re being supported throughout the process. Establishing their identity and core values can be a difficult task, and many may feel confused or lost along the way. The introduction of social media has further complicated these natural growing pains, as adolescents are now exposed to a constant barrage of perfectly edited photos and a tangible way to compare themselves against their peers.
Adolescent counseling can offer teens a safe space to explore their feelings, experiences and expectations in a safe and non-judgmental space. Around this age, most teens avoid discussing these subjects with their parents for a variety of reasons, including embarrassment or the fear of being misunderstood. But by scheduling an appointment with a counselor, adolescents can still receive expert guidance in how to navigate the years ahead by a trusted and trained professional.
Common Adolescent Issues
Seeking counseling services for teens can help equip them with healthy coping skills for a variety of common issues. Some adolescents may need help dealing with issues of bullying, depression, anxiety or peer pressure. But they can also be grappling with more serious issues as well, including self-esteem and body image issues that could potentially lead to a full-fledged eating disorder. Teens may also engage in risky sexual behaviors, self-harm, drinking and drug use.
If not properly addressed, the poor decisions made by adolescents have the potential to follow them into adulthood. Unchecked binge drinking behaviors or recreational drug use could impact their young lives negatively with long-term and damaging side effects, including liver damage, severed relationships and possibly jail time.
Eating disorders plague millions of people in the United States, and disproportionally affect young women. Identifying and treating body image issues early on increases the likelihood of overcoming their toxic relationship with food and enabling them to live healthy lives moving forward.
As mentioned previously, the effect of social media on adolescents is still being studied and understood. Never before have teens had this much access and communication with a world wide network of people. Once more, through likes and retweets, they can physically compare their self-worth to their peers. Photoshopped images and Instagram influencers project an unrealistic ideal that can do serious damage to a budding self-esteem. Now more than ever, an adolescent therapist is a helpful tool in encouraging and equipping healthy adults.
Adolescent Therapist Boca Raton
Abby Bernstein is a licensed mental health therapist and experienced adolescent therapist in Boca Raton. She specializes in helping adolescents navigate through this transitional time and equips them with healthy behaviors to overcome a variety of common issues.
By creating a safe and non-judgmental space, she is able to facilitate open and honest communication, further building on the trust between client and therapist. She uses a combination of acceptance and commitment therapy with body tracing and comparisons between the ideal and real self to help teens overcome body issues, destructive behaviors and toxic dependence on social media.
For a compassionate adolescent therapist in Boca Raton, schedule an appointment with Abby Bernstein today.