The past few months or years have been rough for your entire family. Not only have you been dealing with the loss of your child, but you are now worried that your teen is going down the wrong path. Teens and young adults often act out when they are in pain because they have not yet developed the tools they need to appropriately handle grief and loss. Fortunately, grief counseling for young adults helps teach these skills, and you can use these tips to get your teen to open up in their sessions when they are hesitant about seeing a counselor.
1. Normalize Going to Counseling
Your teen may resist going to counseling if they feel forced into it or view it as something else that you are making them do. If you haven't already, then start going to counseling yourself, and mention your sessions to your teen. While you don't have to tell them everything you talk about, making therapy a family effort helps your teen see it as a normal thing to do rather than a punishment for their behavior.
2. Help Them Find the Right Counselor
Young adults can be selective about who they open up to, and your teen needs to feel comfortable with their counselor. Help them identify traits that they prefer in a counselor. For instance, they may prefer talking to a counselor who is experienced with working with people their age or your teen may need someone with a laid-back style. Either way, let your teen be involved in the selection of their counselor so that they feel comfortable opening up.
3. Give Your Teen Privacy
Counselors strive to protect their patient's confidentiality unless there is a serious issue that must be reported such as a threat to their life or someone else's. Your teen needs to view their counselor as a trusted confidant, which means that you may need to back off. Try to avoid asking direct questions about what your teen talked about in their sessions. When they feel a sense of privacy in the counselor's office, they'll be more likely to share their innermost thoughts.
4. Allow for Some Extra Time
Troubled youth treatments are effective, but you may not see major changes overnight. When a teen is learning to work through their grief and loss, it is normal for them to fluctuate a bit until they stabilize. Keep taking your teen to their sessions even if they claim that it doesn't help. Over time, your teen will start to open up, and you'll see noticeable differences in their decisions and behavior.
The loss of a member of your family leaves everyone struggling to figure out how to cope. By focusing on helping your teen learn how to work with a counselor, you can get them back on the right track and initiate the process of healing for everyone. For more information, schedule an appointment with a company like Lifeline today.
