Parents and friends can help a young person who may be experiencing these problems. Be
a good listener. Let the youngster know why you are concerned. Encourage her/him to get
help. If a decision is made to seek professional help, it is very important that the
adolescent be aware of choices and be involved in making a plan. In more serious cases or
crisis, it is important to get immediate assistance or crisis intervention.
Teachers, school counselors, physicians or peer support groups may be helpful. Mental
health professionals are also available to assist with the evaluation of an adolescent's
problems.
Choosing a Mental Health Professional for an Adolescent
The mental health professional you choose for your adolescent should understand the unique
problems of adolescence and be aware of cultural needs and backgrounds. You should feel
comfortable with the therapist so that you can establish open communication, but your
adolescent may not feel that way. In fact, your adolescent may be hostile to the mental
health professional, because it is likely she/he will not be at all trusting of adults or
open to their suggestions. It would be appropriate for an adolescent to have some input as
to which therapist he/she works with (although that's not always possible). To select a
mental health professional you may want to interview two or three individuals, using Choosing a mental health professional as a guide.
How Therapy with an Adolescent Works
When adolescents are involved in therapy, they can and should speak for themselves.
Parents may or may not be included in the therapy sessions, or may be encouraged to
participate in family therapy or group sessions.
The adolescent and the mental health professional should discuss what each expects to
accomplish. Treatment for substance abuse may be necessary before mental health problems
can be addressed. The entire family may be asked to participate in a number of sessions to
help understand how the family communicates, works together and how they can assist with
the adolescent's problems.
It is important that there may be certain aspects of the therapy that should remain
confidential between the therapist and the adolescent. Before treatment begins, the
parents, the child and the mental health professional should come to an agreement as to
what information will be disclosed to the client's parents.
Evaluating
Therapy for Adolescents
Once your adolescent has been in therapy for a while, you may want to consider the
following questions to see if you believe therapy is effective. If you answer
"yes" to most of them, then you can be confident that therapy is working. If you
answer "no" to most of them, you may want to get a second opinion from another
mental health professional and consider making a change in treatment.
