Adolescent Therapy for Back-to-School

For parents it can be tricky noticing the signs and figuring out your child’s state of mind. We sometimes don’t ask questions as we feel like we may be interrogating or nosey. Kids experience many things that affect their mental health. Back-to-School can be seen as a milestone for some: a new grade, new classes, new friends, and new opportunities, all of which are great things. However, back-to-school can be seen as more homework, harder tests, and social awkwardness. Knowing the signs of mental health and acting on them is something that can be beneficial for both you and your child. Therapy is a great way to handle back-to-school anxieties and uncertainties. Counseling services focus on the child’s emotions, thoughts, and experiences, thereby giving opportunity to address factors such as:

Depression:

Whether your child is attending school in a classroom or virtually, depression or a change of mood can be a key indicator that something is wrong. Many of us this past year have been affected in some way but for kids this is something that hits a little differently. Not being able to see your classmates or do any fun activities causes loneliness with a feeling of isolation. Coping mechanisms and effective communication is essential when it comes to addressing depression.

Social Anxiety:

A new school with different classmates can be stressful causing anxiety. Anxiety can affect everyone differently from PTSD to panic attacks. Addressing these elements while providing ways of dealing and managing this feeling can serve in relieving uncertainties of new opportunities in school.

Stress:

When summer is over and kids start to return to school, many of their other activities begin as well. Sport teams, musical practice and other recreational activities all start right around when school does. It can sometimes be hard to balance work and play, causing stress which could lead to things like loss of sleep or loss of appetite. Homework, exams, and quizzes are some of the leading factors of stress at school. Having the ability to step away and take a break, while still being productive can help kids manage their busy schedules.

Psychologist for the Westport, CT area

The concept of mental health has become increasingly popular in today’s day and age. With many kids and young adults being exposed to so many things on social media or TV, there are many things that shape a child’s mental health. With adolescent therapy from Norman R. Klein, Ph.D. these sessions help kids with anxiety, and help them learn to manage and cope with their feelings. By providing an outlet and someone to talk to, we have seen many clients figure out intuitive ways of managing their anxiety. Dr. Klein provides service to clients in the Westport, CT area so call to schedule an appointment or to learn more about his counseling services.