I Need Teen Counseling Near Me—Where Should I Turn?

Medically reviewed by Melissa Guarnaccia, LCSW
Updated October 13, 2024by Regain Editorial Team
Please be advised, the below article might mention trauma-related topics that include suicide, substance use, or abuse which could be triggering to the reader.
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Teenagers have a very rough gig. They have the stress of school, social situations, extracurricular activities, overactive emotions, and a feeling that they are not quite a kid but not quite an adult. It can be a very trying time for any teenager, but some teens have even more trouble than others.

When you see your teen dealing with the challenges of adolescence, your first instinct may be to try and fix their problems for them. However, teenagers are old enough to participate in addressing their concerns and learn to manage their emotional and mental well-being. This is where teen counseling can come into play. A licensed therapist and other mental health professionals can teach them coping skills so that they can solve these problems for themselves improve their mental health, and bolster their overall well-being. While medical health professionals can provide medical advice and health care for physical symptoms, a therapist can use evidence-based techniques to treat a challenging mental health condition.

The hardest thing is watching your child feel pain

Signs your teen needs counseling

There are many signs that your teen needs counseling. When you see your teen struggling to fit in socially, cutting themselves off from friends and family, or changing their eating or sleeping habits, you might think that they have a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Yet sometimes these behaviors are just normal teen behavior. Here are some signs that your adolescent could benefit from teen counseling:

Developmental depression symptoms

Developmental depression is brought on by the changes associated with growing up. Teens feel grief over the fact that they are no longer a child, and they are not yet an adult to make up for it. This can lead to a type of situational depression that can lead to the following symptoms:

  • Mood instability
  • Frequent feelings of sadness
  • Loss of interest in several activities
  • Social anxiety
  • Occasional fatigue or insomnia

If your child has any of these symptoms, they may have developmental depression. Therapy at the hands of licensed therapists can help teens cope with these changes more effectively. It can help them to have a therapist that they can confide in and discuss their feelings in a safe environment. 

Atypical depression symptoms

Atypical depression in teens is similar to developmental depression, but it is exacerbated by additional factors. Teens might experience atypical depression if they have added stressors such as financial stress, illness or injury, death of a loved one, moving away from the family home or school, or social rejection. Some symptoms of atypical depression include:

  • Frequent depressed or sad mood
  • Loss in interest in all activities
  • Social isolation
  • Frequent fatigue or insomnia
  • Feelings of hopelessness
  • Severe mood swings

If your teen has any of these symptoms of atypical depression, you should consider consulting with mental health professionals to get them the help they need. Teen counseling is often one of the first steps to combatting atypical depression.

Substance use or misuse

Substance abuse is usually a method of self-medicating. Often teens try drugs and alcohol because their peers tell them that it will provide relief from symptoms of some mental health conditions.. When it works, even though temporarily, they become convinced that substance abuse will keep them on an even keel. Substance abuse is almost always a symptom of a larger problem, but it is one sign that your child needs teen counseling.

In some cases, teens may also start partaking in self-inflicting behavior.

If you believe this to be the case for your teen, some resources for immediate support include the Crisis Text Line, text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor, the Trevor Project for LGBTQ+ youth available for text or call at 1-866-488-7386, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

Other reasons for teen counseling

There are many different reasons that your teen might need counseling besides depression/anxiety. Teens often face difficulties in social situations, school, and home life. Some more of the most common reasons for teen counseling include:

  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • School or Social Issues
  • Low Self-Esteem
  • Trauma
  • Grief

If your child is coping with any of these issues in addition to their normal teen problems, they are likely at risk for situational or atypical depression, and they need to seek treatment. There may be additional situations that arise that require your teen to see a therapist. These might include teen pregnancy, issues with romantic relationships, or general social rejection.

Finding teen counseling near me

If you have determined after the above information that your teen does need counseling, your next step is to find them the help that they need. If you want to make sure that your teen gets the best help possible, you will need to identify why they need counseling and make sure that the therapist you choose has experience in that arena.

You may have to do quite a bit of searching to find teen counseling near you that is appropriate for your child. As you get referrals and find counselors, talk to them about your teen's symptoms and reasons for counseling to make sure that they can treat them appropriately.

Referrals

Your first step in finding teen counseling near you is to talk to your child's pediatrician, your family doctor, friends, and family, your teen's school, and your health insurance company. All of these individuals and organizations will be able to help you find teen therapists in your area. If none are available, you still have some options for getting help.

Online searches

If you don't have health insurance or a primary care doctor, and your child's school is unable to help, referrals may not be an option. A simple online search will turn up many therapists in your area, but not all of them will be willing to work with teenagers. It is important to call around and ask lots of questions to determine if they can help before scheduling an appointment. This can be time-consuming, but if your teen does better with someone in person, it can be worth the effort. 

A sample search could be "depression therapist near me" then you can just reach out to the results and confirm if they work with teens.

Online teen counseling

The hardest thing is watching your child feel pain

If you don't have the time or resources to find a teen therapist near you, or if you live in an area where no teen counseling is available, you still have options. 

One of the best online therapy services, Regain, is available to help you access teen counseling. With Regain, you can connect your teen to a licensed therapist via text chat, voice chat, or video chat who can provide a diagnosis or treatment of several mental health conditions. Regain does not provide resources for medication management but offers access to a qualified, licensed mental health professional who can provide evidence-based psychotherapy. Regain is available 24/7/365, so your teen can participate in therapy without it affecting their school or activity schedule. Teen counseling can happen anywhere at any time with Regain. All you need is a quiet room or vehicle and a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Online counseling has also been shown to be an effective alternative to in-person treatment. Recent research has shown that, with teens especially, therapy that utilizes technology can help to close the gap in treatment options for those who live in rural or less covered areas, and can offer treatment to people who might otherwise not seek it by making it more convenient, affordable, and intuitive.

Online counseling services are available to allow your teen to get the help they need in a convenient and time manageable way.

Takeaway

If you are discovering that your teen is having more than the typical growing pains, it is important not to wait to get them the help they need. Teen therapy is important for maintaining a healthy relationship between you and your child. Contact Regain or other resources today to get your child into teen counseling near you.

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