HELP! MY TEEN IS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH
Why This Workshop
First, I would like you to know that if your tween/teen is struggling with their mental health, it is NOT your fault. Yes we parents have influence over many aspects of their lives, but we have less control over how things turn out than we think. There are a lots of variables contributing to our kids’ mental health including genetics, peer relationships, school dynamics and more. But that is not to say that we can’t do anything to support them and build their resilience. Quite the opposite!
Adolescence brings on change and with that a whole set of new challenges. The physical, emotional, social transition from childhood to adulthood is a vulnerable time. “Fifty percent of mental illness begins by age 14.” Being able to determine what is typical adolescent behavior and what is an impending crisis requires some skills.
Self harm and suicidal ideation can be terrifying for parents and caregivers to discuss with tweens/teens. The fear of saying the wrong thing and causing more harm is petrifying and can prevent one from providing appropriate support and intervention.
Despite what your tween/teens might indicate with their behaviors, they still need you for guidance, counseling, and emotional support. It’s just a bit more tricky to connect with them in a way that helps them open up.
What To Expect
During this 2 hour course, I will share knowledge and teach you skills you need in order to be able to confidently, compassionately, and effectively support your tween/teen when they’re struggling with their mental health. I will walk you through strategies that help cool heated arguments and those that help open up your teen to you.
This course curriculum is rooted in research in neuroscience, enhanced with my experience counseling people in mental health crisis and enriched by real life examples.
Benefits
Research in the social sciences indicates that the quality of the parent-child relationship is the strongest predictor of the success of any type of learning and behavior change. Dr. Bessel van Der Kolk said “The parent-child connection is the most powerful mental health intervention known to mankind.” The skills I teach are essential in order to nurture and maintain healthy relationships with our children.
Recognizing the early warning signs of mental health struggles, and knowing how to connect with a teen so they feel heard, validated, and understood is crucial in establishing the trust needed for successful collaboration and to ensure recovery.
Main Topics
In this course we will discuss adolescent behavior that is typical and when it might indicate mental health struggles.
We will have a general overview of the most common mental health conditions in teens, such as Anxiety, Depression, Substance Abuse, and Eating Disorders. We will also mention how to recognize psychosis in teens. You will learn enough to have an awareness (not to diagnose it!), without going into too much detail.
We will also review the most common signs and symptoms of a mental health crisis and how to tell whether a teen is in crisis or “just” having a really rough day.
You will also learn a bit of brain science as it relates to behavior. This will inform your understanding of why is it that certain ways of communicating with your tween/teen when they’re stressed or upset will help de-escalate them, while others will actually escalate the situation.
We will discuss in detail the verbal and non-verbal de-escalation techniques accompanied with real life examples. You will also learn how to approach your child collaboratively to empower both you and your tween/teen and find solutions to recurring issues that work for both of you.
I will share some resources that are handy in the event of a mental health crisis and the ongoing recovery journey.
And finally, we will address how to nurture yourself to avoid or recover from burnout and compassion fatigue. Caring for a tween/teen with a mental illness is incredibly hard and yes it can be extremely rewarding as well. It can take a toll us parents and guardians in the long term. We will include a discussion on secondary trauma, and some stress release strategies including but not limited to the power of touch, helpful breathing, and somatic exercises.
Still Have Questions?
If you would like to know more about me or what’s included in this workshop, don’t hesitate to email me at
ContactCrisisMom@gmail.com
Cannot wait to connect and learn how I can support your family!
Are You Ready?
"good news!!...he seems to respond in a less reactive nature when I’ve tried some new approaches with him. He seems to want to be around in our company a little more, which is good. His bedroom door isn’t closed all the time either."
Mom of a teenage boy