Your Teen Doesn't Have to Be Completely Falling Apart to Benefit from Therapy
So – your teenager seems to be doing alright. They're going to school, spending time with friends, keeping up with most of their responsibilities. Maybe you've noticed that they're a bit more anxious lately, or that their confidence seems to have taken a hit. Maybe they're having a harder time managing or expressing their emotions.
You've considered therapy, but you aren't sure whether things are serious enough to warrant it.
It's a common hesitation, and it is one worth reconsidering. Your teenager doesn't have to be in crisis to benefit from professional support.
Therapy Isn't Just for When Things Go Wrong
As parents, we often judge how our teenagers are doing by what we can easily see. Are they keeping up at school? Do they have friends? Are they participating in activities they enjoy?
These are certainly useful indicators, but they don't tell us everything.
In fact, research examining parent and adolescent reports of mental health difficulties has found that parents and teenagers don't always agree about what the teenager is experiencing, particularly when it comes to depression and anxiety. For plenty of neurodivergent teens, meeting everyday expectations requires considerable effort, even when things appear to be going smoothly.
Therapy can give teenagers a chance to explore and talk about the difficulties they're experiencing, whether that's anxiety about school, challenges with friendships, or trouble understanding and communicating their needs.
And there is substantial evidence that psychological therapy can truly help young people. A large meta-analysis of 447 studies found that psychological treatments were generally effective, particularly for anxiety.
How to Know If Therapy Might Help
There isn't a single threshold that determines when a teenager would benefit from therapy.
Sometimes the signs are obvious: a teenager might be increasingly withdrawn, struggling to attend school, or experiencing significant emotional distress. These are good reasons to seek professional guidance, and the sooner the better.
Other times, the difficulties are less apparent: maybe your teen has mentioned feeling overwhelmed but doesn't know why. Maybe they're finding certain social situations increasingly stressful, or struggling with their confidence despite doing well academically.
Consider whether your teenager has concerns they'd like help working through, whether existing supports are meeting their needs, and whether they might appreciate having someone outside the family to talk to.
Not every hardship requires therapy. Sometimes practical adjustments at school and support from trusted adults can sometimes make a big difference on their own.
If you're uncertain, speaking with a mental health professional can help you explore the options.
Bringing Up Therapy With Your Teen
Even if you think therapy could be helpful, your teenager may not feel the same way.
A systematic review of research on young people's help-seeking found that concerns about embarrassment and confidentiality can make teenagers reluctant to seek support. How you introduce the idea is important.
This can start with explaining what you've noticed, asking how they're feeling, and suggest therapy as something that can be explored together. Give them room to express concerns or ask questions, and, where possible, involve your teenager in choosing a therapist. Feeling comfortable with the person they're speaking to is provenly, massively important, and everyone should have some say in the support they receive.
For a deeper breakdown of how to introduce the idea of therapy to your child, check out my blog, “How to Talk to Your Teen About Therapy (Without Pressure or Panic).”
You Don't Have to Wait for a Crisis
Your teenager can absolutely be managing well in many areas of life and still have things they'd benefit from working through. Therapy is one way to help them better understand themselves and navigate the challenges they're facing, no matter how small they might seem.
If you're wondering whether therapy could be helpful for your teen, contact New Leaf Therapeutic Services to talk confidentially about their needs and explore your options.
References:
Cantwell, D. P., Lewinsohn, P. M., Rohde, P., & Seeley, J. R. (1997). Correspondence between adolescent report and parent report of psychiatric diagnostic data. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(5), 610–619. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9136495/
Radez, J., Reardon, T., Creswell, C., Lawrence, P. J., Evdoka-Burton, G., & Waite, P. (2021). Why do children and adolescents (not) seek and access professional help for their mental health problems? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 183–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-019-01469-4
Weisz, J. R., Kuppens, S., Ng, M. Y., Eckshtain, D., Ugueto, A. M., Vaughn-Coaxum, R., Jensen-Doss, A., Hawley, K. M., Krumholz Marchette, L. S., Chu, B. C., & Fordwood, S. R. (2017). What five decades of research tells us about the effects of youth psychological therapy: A multilevel meta-analysis and implications for science and practice. American Psychologist, 72(2), 79–117. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040360
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