Christian Counseling For Teens

More than any other age group, teenagers experience the most pressure to perform well in school, and the situation grows far more complicated when emotional patterns linked to bipolar disorder are in the mix. A student may earn top grades, finish assignments quickly, and speak with confidence in class one week, while another week brings exhaustion, missing homework, and a strong urge to avoid school entirely. These can be signs of burnout in bipolar teens. Teachers and parents see the strong performance and attribute this to the fact that the student works hard, and that this will always be the case. When burnout arrives, and work drops, adults blame laziness, distractions, or social problems. Many times, the deeper emotional pattern connected to bipolar disorder in teens rarely enters the conversation. This confusing cycle leads to frustration for everyone involved, especially the teenager who feels their mind racing one week and slowing down the next. How Perfection Pressure Increases Burnout in Bipolar Teens Academic success brings expectations from parents, teachers, and even the teen themselves. When emotional highs lead to impressive results, people expect the same performance every week. A teenager dealing with bipolar disorder may feel this pressure deeply. During periods of lower energy, they remember their previous success and feel frustrated that their mind does not work the same way. The cycle becomes painful for several reasons: First, the teen compares their current performance with their earlier achievements. Second, they fear disappointing people who praised them before. Third, they feel confused about their own abilities. These thoughts create stress that creates burnouts during emotional lows. Academic Burnout Following Emotional Crashes After a period of high energy, for a kid with bipolar disorder, an emotional drop can soon follow. A student who felt unstoppable days earlier now feels drained [...]

When it comes to counseling, I have often found that families are not sure of what to expect. I’ve heard from teens, “Are you going to tell my parents what we talk about?” “What do we talk about?” “Is it just going to be the two of us meeting?” On the other hand, what I’ve heard from parents is, “Will I need to be at every session?” “Are you going to let me know what you discuss with them?” “How often will we have sessions?” These are all understandable concerns, and I see where both teens and their parents are coming from. For those new to counseling, it can feel confusing, intimidating, and even nerve-wracking, especially for teens. Teens might worry they’re in trouble or feel like they’ve done something wrong, while parents may struggle with feelings of guilt or uncertainty about how to support their child. That’s why I believe it’s important to set clear expectations from the start, so both teens and parents can make the most of their counseling journey. The First Session The first session, often called an intake appointment, is the initial meeting between the parent, teen, and counselor. Each counselor may handle this session a bit differently, but here’s what you can generally expect from how I conduct mine. Both parents are welcome to attend with their teen, though only one parent or legal guardian is required to be present. At the start of the session, I’ll go over the informed consent form, which outlines important details such as my qualifications, scheduling and cancellation policies, payment information, and confidentiality. During the first session, I always discuss the importance of confidentiality in the counseling space. Confidentiality is the ethical and legal duty of a counselor to protect a client’s private information and not share [...]

Last night, I opened Instagram and began scrolling. I had recently searched for new recipes and workouts, so my feed was filled with these types of videos. However, amid the dog and baking recipe videos, I started seeing videos about calorie counts, daily gym routines to make my waist smaller, and ways to lose weight. I hadn’t searched for that content, but it was now automatically showing up in my feed. I realized I probably wasn’t the only one who was seeing these types of videos centered on body image. I couldn’t help but wonder how exposure to this content might impact a person’s self-esteem and body image, especially for a teenager. What is body image? Body image refers to the beliefs and perceptions we have about our own bodies – how we view our appearance, like our size, shape, height, and weight. A positive body image involves feeling confident in your appearance and accepting the natural changes your body goes through as you age (e.g., menopause, fluctuating weight). Negative body image is the belief that there is something wrong with your appearance. The National Eating Disorders Association defines negative body image as “a distorted perception of one’s shape and physical appearance. Negative body image (or body dissatisfaction) involves feelings of shame, anxiety, and self-consciousness.” Those who struggle with negative body image often find themselves frequently doing body checking (monitoring their physical appearance via scales, mirrors, or other methods), constantly comparing their appearance to others, or going to extreme lengths to change their appearance. Those who experience high levels of body dissatisfaction are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem, and developing eating disorders. Negative Body Image and Social Media For individuals who struggle with their body image, social media can make these negative beliefs [...]