As a therapist who specializes in teen counseling, I have watched as the the number of teens coming in with teen anxiety has increased greatly. If your teenager battles anxiety or panic attacks, they likely struggle in school. Some anxious teenagers struggle with negative thoughts. Their anxiety looks like imaging the worst case scenario.
When taking a quiz, they fret and imagine failing the assignment. This anxiety morphs into a fear of failing the semester. It's possible it grows until there's dread about failing the entire class. Left untreated, this type of anxiety can spread into other areas of the teenager's life.
Other teenagers struggle with social anxiety. Social anxiety looks like worrying too much about what other people are thinking about you.
A teen with social anxiety is afraid that others are judging them. These imagined thoughts can lead to avoidance. A teen with social anxiety avoids situations because the anxiety around others' thoughts. What other people may be thinking about them seems awful and insurmountable.
Every person has some level of anxiety. An appropriate amount of anxiety is normal and expected. Anxiety reaches the level of a "disorder" when it impacts a teen's academic performance, social experience, and other important relationships.
When a teenagers starts to struggle with their self-image this is a problem. If they no longer feel like themselves, this is an issue that has to be addressed.
An effective way to treat teen anxiety, panic attacks, or social anxiety is through talk therapy. Talk therapy helps the teen identify the cause/s of the anxiety. After identifying what triggers the anxiety, the teen and therapist can collaborate on strategies and coping mechanisms that will help manage the anxiety.
Prioritizing Therapy During School
When school resumes, it's easy to get lost in all the scheduling demands. With school, extra curricular activities, and other commitments, it's easy for therapy to take a back seat.
If your teen battles anxiety, don't let therapy go by the wayside. Prioritize therapy and make a commitment to supporting your teen's mental health.
It's easy to imagine that your child's academic performance or sports schedule is the most important thing in their life. No argument here or from me about the importance of academics and sports.
The problem is that with anxiety, they won't be able to navigate classes and other commitments without properly managing their anxiety. Prioritizing therapy is an investment in classes and sports, not a competitor.
There are some teens who manage to get by in school and sports while also managing anxiety. Imagine what they would be capable of if they didn't have to manage their anxiety on top of managing school and sports. Take anxiety out of the equation, and the teen who was getting by now can accelerate their learning and athletic goals.
If your teen gets a better handle on their anxiety, they will be able to perform better in the classroom and on the field.
A Sacrifice That's Worth The Time
You may find a great teen therapist that can fit you in on weekends or late in the evening. It's also possible your teenager will connect with a teen therapist whose evening/after school appointments, are booked. This teen therapist may ask you to pull your child out of school for sessions. Although this is not the ideal situation, it can work for a few weeks until an evening appointment opens up.
During this time, your teen will be learning strategies to manage their teen anxiety. As they learn to manage their anxiety better, their school, sports, and relationships can significantly improve. Including the most important relationship your teenager can have -- the relationship with the self and having self-confidence, self-worth, and high self-esteem.
Although pulling your child out of class is a sacrifice, it's one that's worth the time. A teen therapist can work with you on pulling the teen out during lunch or a period that is less important than another.
A teen therapist can sign a mental health excuse note or write a letter of support. This letter can detail the reasons for the teen's absence and the general scope of treatment.
We have had great support from the local ISD's. When they know a student is working on improving themselves in therapy, they go out of their way to also support that student when they miss school due to a therapy appointment. We have not had a time yet where a teen who is pulled during school to attend therapy has fallen behind in the class they are missing.
Prioritizing therapy also means being consistent with therapy. Your teenager will not receive the powerful benefits of therapy without some level of consistency.
Weekly therapy is the most effective for treating social anxiety. Inconsistent therapy at the beginning can fail to result in lasting change. Consistent therapy is necessary for consistent results.
Katy Teen & Family Counseling: Specializing in Teen Therapy in Katy, Texas & Houston
At the Katy, Tx location of Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we specialize in providing teen counseling. Teen anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, school anxiety, depression, and other emotional or behavioral struggles have increased greatly over the last 2 years.
Our teen therapists can help your teen and family restore hope, happiness, & connected family relationships.
If you are ready to start your healing journey with one of our teen therapists, you can follow these three simple steps:
Contact Katy Teen & Family Counseling, PLLC.
Meet with one of our caring therapists specializing in teen therapy.
Take that first step in restoring hope, happiness, and connected family relationships.
Other Teen Therapy, Family Counseling, & Young Adult Therapy Services Offered at Katy Teen & Family Counseling
At our Katy, Tx location of Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we provide other counseling and therapeutic services. Marriage counseling and couples therapy are additional services we offer. Often, when parenting a struggling teen, this can have a direct impact on the parents relationship. Our marriage counselors and couples therapists can help.
We also provide other counseling and therapeutic services for teens, young adults, & families at our Katy, Tx location:
Neurofeedback
Peak performance (optimal academic brain performance)
Peak performance (optimal athletic brain performance)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR Therapy)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
About the Author
Quique Autrey is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Quique specializes in teen therapy and helping teens build upon their innate strengths while developing skills and tools to overcome depression, anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, ADHD, and more.
Quique views each individual through that lens and provides therapy for the family system which includes: teen therapy, young adult counseling, family counseling, marriage counseling & couples therapy.
Quique also has a passion for helping teens, young adults, and adults who may be on the Autism Spectrum. He has a talent for connecting with and helping people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
If you're ready to start your healing journey in teen therapy, you can call us at 346-202-4662 or email us at info@katyteenandfamilycounseling.com.
