Everyone, including children and teens, will have emotional ups and downs. Just like adults, these young individuals go through difficult periods in their life where they might need help to cope or just someone to listen to them.
At times, it can be hard for adults to understand why children and teens have problems at such young ages. If you are a parent, you may wonder if this is a passing phase or if you’re the reason for your child wanting to seek therapy.
To better understand why young individuals need therapy, imagine this. Think of your younger self facing some if not most of these challenges: school stress, friendship dramas, relationship issues, family conflicts, bullying, self-esteem and body image issues. Imagine doing all these while navigating the challenging task of figuring out your identity and who you want to be without what you know now and learnt from adulthood. It is no easy feat to navigate adolescence and understandable why some children and teens need extra help or guidance.
In therapy, children and teens learn how to cope better, communicate better and work out their problems. These are skills that would be essential in the years to come for them.
Sometimes, children are shy, embarrassed or worried to tell parents or caregivers that something is wrong. Other times, adults in their lives are unsure if a problem is fleeting or something more serious.
Here are some signs to help identify if a young individual in your life needs therapy:
Feeling or appearing sad, worried, stressed or irritable for extended periods of time
Withdrawing from friends and family
Withdrawing from favorite activities
Struggling with a big change/ grief/ traumatic event
Reverting to behaviours they have outgrown or acting like their younger siblings (i.e., regression), especially unrelated to any issue
Changes in hygiene, sleeping or eating habits
Disordered eating behaviours (e.g., self-induced vomiting after meals)
Self-harm behaviors/ risky behaviors (e.g., hair-pulling or skin-picking)
Making comments like “I wish I weren’t here,” or “Nobody would care if I ran away.”
Talking about death/wanting to die/ life being hopeless
If you as a parent or caregiver is still unsure, trust your gut. You know your child best. If something just does not feel right, trust that you may be on to something. Even if your child laughs things off or flat out refuse therapy, at least s/he knows that that option is available and your child learns that you value his/her mental wellness. Sitting with your discomfort during such difficult conversations also sends a message to your child that you care a lot about their well-being. For a youth, this can make all the difference to them to open up to you and perhaps the idea of therapy.
It is worth noting that therapy is NOT something to be ashamed about. Some extra help can go a long way in building resilience to handle developmental challenges and problems.
Therapy is no different than enrolling in a class to learn a new skill or going to see the doctor when you have a flu or fever.
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