Teens
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 48% of teens between the ages of 13 - 18 will struggle with a mental health issue.
Given the challenges and pressures facing teens today, we recognize the importance of providing effective and timely, psychotherapy/
Psychotherapy/
With teens, our psychotherapy/
With both therapeutic approaches, strong emphasis is placed on helping teens to develop skills and strategies they can use to manage whatever issue they are facing.
An emphasis is also placed on developing rapport and a strong therapeutic alliance with our teen clients. It is critical that teens feel comfortable and confident with their therapist, so they are willing to engage in the process entirely. It is also essential that teens are aware that psychotherapy/
We always encourage the involvement of parents in the therapeutic process but are respectful when our teen clients wish to keep the information shared in their sessions private (teens can typically provide their own consent to treatment). Generally speaking, we find that our teen clients choose to have their parent(s) involved in the first session to assist with providing background information, as well as their feedback about the presenting issue. Beyond the first session, our teen clients typically request that we provide brief updates about their progress to their parent(s).
For a more detailed description about psychotherapy/
At our clinic, the most common issues we see teens for include:
- Social anxiety
- Self-esteem
- Anxiety and Worry
- Emotional regulation difficulties
- Anxiety (panic) attacks
- Anger
- Depression
- Stress
Psychological Assessments
With our teen clients, we typically provide Psychological (Mental Health), Psychoeducational (Learning), ADHD (Attention) and Autism (Developmental) assessments. A brief description of the purpose and benefits of each assessment is provided below.
For a more detailed description of the assessment process, please click here.
Psychological (Mental Health)
Assessments to determine specific mental health or behavioural issue usually occurs when:
- There are multiple mental health issues to understand
- Behaviour is negatively impacting all facets of daily life
- Appropriate treatment recommendations are required for psychotherapy/
counselling sessions - A correct diagnosis is needed to help physicians determine the proper medication to prescribe for treatment
Psychoeducational (Learning)
A psychoeducation assessment can be helpful for teens by identifying issues with cognition and learning. This assessment can help to:
- Identify where difficulties in learning are occurring
- Establish appropriate recommendations and accommodations to assist with learning in school
- Provide recommendations to utilize assistive technology which can help to improve learning and academic performance
- Provide valuable information when considering what area to pursue in post-secondary education
ADHD (Attention)
An assessment for ADHD can be useful for teens by identifying issues with attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and executive functioning (i.e., organization, regulation, etc.). This assessment can provide:
- Recommendations for treatment planning for psychotherapy/
counselling - Recommendations and accommodations to improve academic performance
- Suggestions to improve attention, organization, etc. at home and in school
- Recommendations for assistive technology that can promote attention and facilitate learning at school
- A definitive diagnosis if medication is being considered as a treatment option
Autism (Developmental)
Assessments for Autism for teens typically involve assessing for Aspergers (which is now considered an Autism diagnosis in the new DSM-V). Assessments for more severe forms of Autism generally are completed in childhood. An assessment for Autism (Developmental) can be helpful by:
- Providing answers for why a teen is particularly awkward socially or has little desire to socialize at all
- Explaining peculiar behaviour such as maintaining a primary area of interest that seems unusual or engaging in restricted or repetitive behaviours
- Providing appropriate treatment planning recommendations for psychotherapy/
counselling - Identifying areas for improvement in social skills
- Identifying areas for improvement with emotional regulation skills
Neuropsychological (neurocognitive)
A neuropsychological assessment can be helpful with identifying difficulties in brain function such as cognition, learning, executive functioning, language, etc. This assessment can help to:
- determine if there are deficits in learning and functioning related to a neurological or birth condition such as a seizure disorder, epilepsy, premature birth, alcohol or substance use during pregnancy, brain tumor, acquired or congenital hydrocephalus, etc.
- examine brain functioning after an impact to the head resulting in a concussion (e.g., motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, sports injury, etc.)
- determine if there are cognitive difficulties in all areas of learning
- identify learning difficulties in specific areas (i.e., math, spelling, reading, writing, etc.)
- create recommendations for home and school functioning when there is difficulty in an identified area of brain functioning
- establish appropriate recommendations and accommodations for an Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.) at school
- provide recommendations for assistive technology (i.e., use of a laptop, etc.) to assist with learning
- offer important information when considering what area to pursue in post-secondary education or in a future occupation