What is Teenage Depression Therapy, and How Can it Help My Teen?
Being a teenager is hard. Parenting one can be even tougher. Many parents struggle with knowing how to help their teens because a teen's experience seems so different than when you were a teenager.
Teens have access to smartphones, social media, and the internet in ways most parents didn't have growing up. Many parents struggle with knowing how to help their teens. You might be concerned that your teen is struggling with depression. How do you know if your teen is struggling, and what are the best ways to help him?
Is it Teenage Depression or “Growing Pains”?
Adolescence is a time of feeling in between. Teens aren't kids; even though they complain they are often treated like it, they aren't grown up yet. Teenagers face a variety of challenges that are common to adolescence. Teens have hormonal changes that can often explain some of the moodiness, lethargy, and irritation that teens experience.
Teenage depression is different. The signs of teenage depression are mood changes, including sadness or irritability, changes in behavior, appetite, energy levels, sleep patterns, and academic performance.
Georgia has ranked the 17th highest state for teenage depression in 2022. 15% of youth have reported at least one episode of major depressive disorder in the past year.
The Importance of Seeking Therapy When Your Teen Has Depression.
When your child shows symptoms of teen depression, it is essential to meet with a mental health professional. Teenage depression therapy can help treat depression and help young adults live happier lives, and prevent other mental health struggles.
What is Teenage Depression Therapy?
Types of Therapy
Many different types of therapy can help your teen decrease depression symptoms in adolescents. Some of the best types of therapy for treating depression are:
1. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps treat a teen's depression by focusing on the thoughts and beliefs that can get teens stuck. CBT helps teens reframe their thinking to see their problems differently and find solutions to reach their goals.
2. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) helps teens focus on the emotions behind depression and helps them understand what they most need. EFT helps teens see their emotions as important sources of information instead of painful states.
Teens learn to experience these underlying emotions and learn how to regulate their emotions, identify their needs, and find the support around them to meet those needs.
3. Internal Family Systems (IFS)
If you have ever seen the movie, InsideOut, then you have an idea of IFS. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is based on the idea that we have different "parts" inside each of us and by learning how to interact with those parts a teen can help identify what his needs are and experience a reduction in depression.
How Can Teenage Depression Therapy Help My Teen?
A. Improving mood and reducing symptoms
Teenage depression therapy helps increase positive emotions that empower teens to feel like they can handle whatever problems they are facing. Therapy can also help reduce negative feelings and other depression symptoms.
B. Building coping skills
Teenage depression therapy helps teens build coping skills to handle their problems. Therapy for depression helps teens learn how to combat the limiting beliefs that keep them stuck and gain control over their mental health.
C. Enhancing self-esteem and self-worth
Therapy for depression helps empower teens by focusing on their strengths and skills. Therapy helps teens gain confidence to live a happy and connected life.
D. Improving relationships with friends and family
Therapy for depression helps improve a teen's mood, which causes them to isolate less. This typically means better relationships with family members.
E. Providing support and guidance
Therapy for depression provides your teen with a safe place to talk about the struggles and challenges in life. We all need some level of support and direction when we are growing up. Therapy is an excellent option to foster this in teens.
How Ember Counseling Atlanta Helps
Ember Counseling Atlanta helps treat teenage depression by utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and internal family systems to understand their wants, hopes, and desires and the limiting beliefs that keep them stuck and overcome the stigma of depression.
At Ember Counseling Atlanta, we use our years of experience working with teens to help connect with them and feel safe enough to work through mental health challenges.
If you are ready to begin counseling, book a free consult today!
Start Teenage Depression Therapy in Atlanta, GA Today!
If you’ve seen signs of depression in your son, don’t wait to reach out. At my Atlanta, GA counseling practice I can help provide your son with the support and guidance he needs to help manage his depression symptoms. To get started with a thoughtful depression therapist, follow these three simple steps:
Contact us to get your son scheduled with an appointment
Meet with me, Ash Blanton Teen Therapist in Atlanta, GA
Begin to see positive changes in your son’s behavior.
Other Services Offered at Ember Counseling Atlanta
Teenage depression therapy isn’t the only service I offer at my Atlanta, GA counseling practice. I provide both in-person and online therapy in Atlanta, GA for services that include anxiety therapy, teen counseling, and family counseling. I also provide an Intensive Three-Day Counseling Workshop for those who want to speed up the healing process. Check out Ember Counseling Atlanta’s blog and FAQs for more information!
