You never imagined that something like this could happen to you.
You feel embarrassed and ashamed.
There’s no way you can tell anyone about what happened. What if they don’t believe you? What if they blame you for what happened? What if it didn’t really happen? It’s not a big deal, you think, a lot of people have been through worse. I shouldn’t complain. It wasn’t that bad. Right?
But since it happened, you’re not the same. You can’t focus in school. You’ve lost motivation for things you used to enjoy. Hanging out with your friends is different now. Everything is different now.
You try to keep busy. Being distracted is a good way not to think about what happened. It works…sometimes. And other times, it doesn’t.
But no matter how hard you try to not remember, the memories always come back. And each time you feel like you’re going through it all over again.
You can’t seem to feel happy again. You pretend to be happy. If someone asks if you’re ok, you always answer with, “I’m fine.”
Your feelings are like a rollercoaster-sometimes you’re up; sometimes you’re down.
Most things irritate and annoy you. You snap and your family and your friends. You wonder why people won’t just leave you alone.
You’ve tried weed or alcohol to help with the pain. It works for a while, but then it wears off and you feel the pain again.
Or sometimes you just feel nothing. Empty. Numb.
You feel like you’re going crazy.
But you’re NOT crazy.
Everything you are feeling is just a normal response to a not so normal event.
You want to feel happy again. You want to feel normal again. You want to sop feeling like this. You want the memories to stop. You want to feel brave and confident. You want to feel…like YOU again.
I CAN HELP.
I can help you understand why you think, feel, and act the way you do. I will support you as you learn the skills you need to manage your scary and uncomfortable emotions and memories.
And while I cannot help you forget what happened, I can help you to feel less bothered by your thoughts and feel whole again.
Do you wish you knew how to help your teen feel better again?
Watching your teen suffer from the aftermath of a traumatic event can cause you to feel overwhelmed, frightened and helpless. You may struggle to know how to help and support her.
How can therapy help?
Because trauma is held in the body, somatic approaches are a necessary component of trauma therapy. It’s also important for her to feel safe with her therapist in order to rebuild the nervous system and feel secure in herself and environments before working through the trauma.
I can help your teen identify and process these intense emotions and physical symptoms.
I can help her increase her understanding of her triggers and learn supportive strategies to help her move through the trauma as these emotional reminders appear.
With help and a slow, deliberate approach, your teen can release painful emotions, increase resiliency, restore balance and harmony, and regain her life. It is possible for your teen to let go of fear, anxiety, and pain and feel whole again.
The Role of Family
Parent involvement is key to successful therapy. This may appear different based on individual circumstances. Parents may be asked to join sessions, have parent consultation sessions without their teen present, and/or be given recommendations to follow at home to support the therapeutic process.
If you have questions, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
If you would like to set up a complementary 15 minute phone consultation, please click the link below:
Please note that counseling services are for Florida residents only. Thank you and let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
