Counseling for Teens

Often, parents feel frustrated and overwhelmed because they cannot seem to get through to their teenager. This is the stage where teenagers commonly feel misunderstood, judged, or constrained by their parents resulting in strained relationships.

Furthermore, parents are left to feel helpless that they cannot do anything to help their teenager. This drives both parties to feel even more feeling desperate. Hence, it is never a waste of time or energy to make use of the Christian counselors in Los Angeles, as it won’t only be beneficial to your teenager but also to your relationship with them as well.

Your Christian counselor in Los Angeles will serve as a medium for both you and your teenager to communicate effectively with each other. Having someone to mediate will help keep an atmosphere of support, healthy and open communication as well as encouragement. Los Angeles Christian counselors are committed to those goals for both parents and teenagers and their relationships.

Los Angeles Christian Counseling can help teenagers who are undergoing:

• Family transitions
• Grief and loss
• Health issues
• Addiction
• Sexual activity concerns
• Sexual identity
• Teen pregnancy
• Bullying
• Behavior problems
• School issues
• Faith and spiritual development

Teenagers and even their parents may sometimes feel shy to open up about their problems because they might think that their problems are too small. However, no problem is too small when seeking professional help.

Christian counselors in Los Angeles are ready to assist you and your teen to make healthy changes. If and when your teenager has concerns that are affecting the family as a whole, then Christian family counseling is also another way to go.

At Los Angeles Christian Counseling, parents are assisted in guiding their teens as they maneuver teenage life.

The target areas for Christian counseling for teens in Los Angeles are that of focusing on the spiritual aspect and also the manifestations of human brokenness. As Christians in this world, our spirit may be willing to obey but most of the time, our flesh is weak.

As your child transitions into his or her teenage years, the battle of the flesh and spirit becomes more heightened. In their teenage years, they deal with thoughts about their future, interact with their peers, and try to process their own negative thoughts and feelings.

The counselors at Los Angeles Christian Counseling are equipped to handle the intricacies of the teenage years and are also equipped to guide teenagers as they grow to be more Christ-like in a harsh world.

After undergoing Christian counseling for teens in Los Angeles, your child will be able to:

• Understand their behavior and how to shift their focus from negative to positive
• Adopt ways to manage and control negative thought processes
• Develop problem-solving skills
• Have healthy social skills
• Have a safe atmosphere where he or she can discover and identify their innermost thoughts, feelings,and desires.
• Understand the physical and mental developmental process
• Find ways on how to overcome peer pressure
• Have a safe environment where they can freely express their doubts about faith and process them
• Learn practical ways to deal with hurtful memories and rebuild relationships
• Communicate their thoughts and feelings in a constructive and calm way

There are more benefits that teenagers can receive from Christian Counseling. At Los Angeles Christian Counseling, it is our passion to help teenagers get through the challenges of teenage life and eventually help them live Christ-filled lives.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God

Philippians 4:6

Anxiety and Depression

About 10 percent of children under the age of 18 are affected by anxiety and depression. It is at this crucial stage that they are severely under pressure from all aspects of their lives. There are many factors that lead children to become anxious and depressed.For example, while parents have the best intentions in encouraging their children to succeed, pressure from parents is just an added stress to all the pressures teenagers face socially, academically, andin dealing with their own body changes.

In addition, there can be other life events that can be overwhelming for children such as sudden death, changes in the family, health issues, and more.This leads these children to feel more overwhelmed, confused or frustrated. Young as they are, they will need guidance in dealing with all of the negative emotions that come with it.

This is where the invaluable contribution of the Christian counselor comes in where your child is helped to copein healthy ways with anxiety and depression, even prevent them if they learn early on.

ADHD and Learning Disabilities

About 35% of parents who have children with learning disabilities are heavily concerned with how to deal with their children. It is normal to feel overwhelmed and not knowing what to do or where to start when you have a child that has conditions like ADHD, dyslexia and/or other conditions that may hamper their learning. More so for the teen who has this.

The negative impact on them may result in behaviors such as being obstinate, apathetic or overly reactive to certain things, especially those that stress them. Teens can manage these emotions better, have a chance at building their self-esteem and be more hopeful for the future when they undergo Christian counseling. With this kind of help, the teenager will have more confidence, knowing that God has them in the palm of their hands.

Behavior and Social Problems in School

Parents often find it difficult to understand their children who are acting out, being uncooperative and always seem to be in trouble with others. This often leads to their own relationship being strained making it harder to deal with their child in a more constructive or objective way.

Counselors at Los Angeles Christian Counseling are trained to deal with teen issues especially those that could potentially affect their progress in social skills and academics. Acting out or getting into trouble are just symptoms of deeper issues and Christian counselors are trained to trace the roots of those and help teens identify, process and find solutions on how to cope in the hope of bringing your child back on track and giving them a better chance to grow and thrive for the future.

Thoughts of Suicide and Behavior

It is a sad reality that suicide is one of the top three causes of death of children aged 10-19. It is in this period of their lives where transition involves new responsibilities, concerns,and pressures. More often than not, teens find it difficult to cope with these and because the emotions that come with it are too overwhelming, they result in dangerous behaviors as a way of coping.

If there are more stress factors that will add to what they already have, then the child may sink further into depression that will lead them to end their own lives. It’s important to work with a Christian counselor for this so that together with the teen, they can identify the signs that may possibly lead your teen to do such a grave act and process the underlying issues that come with it. When there is suicidal ideation, parents are included in the sessions for a more secure environment for the teen.

Violent Behavior

If your teenager is expressing his or her anger violently, then it is definitely something to worry about. This violent behavior can be towards anybody and may cost anyone’s life and future. Christian counselors are trained to counter this by offering a place where teens are helped to explore in a compassionate way why they are acting out violently.

With this kind of environment, they are allowed to express their feelings in a non-judgmental way so that they can freely share what is causing them to act the way they are acting. As a parent, our approach may not exactly be helpful as we tend to be emotionally invested.

Having a Christian counselor in Los Angeles helps as they are more objective in their approach and give more constructive guidance for your teen on how they can better manage their anger and behavior.

Rapid Weight Loss or Gain

Abrupt weight loss or weight gain could signal a problem that needs professional help. A number of conditions cause sudden weight loss or gain such as anxiety, depression, health problems, or eating problems. A doctor will be able to identify what is causing this abrupt change in weight. But if the doctor has ruled out certain medical conditions, then he may refer your child toa Christian counselor as the reason might be rooted from a psychological one. It’s important to note that early intervention results in prevention. With early intervention, your teen can have a better chance at coping and thus become better, stronger, wiser and well-adjusted adults.

Intense Mood or Changes in Personality

Having changes in emotions and in personality is not strange among teenagers. This is a result of changes in hormones, stress factors, and physical changes. However, when there as an increased frequency and intensity with these changes, then it may be a cause for alarm for the parents and is a good time for them to seek Christian counseling.

The trained counselors at Los Angeles Christian Counseling will be able to help identify what’s causing your teen to have these changes in personality or mood.

The root causes can either be a psychological condition, a result of current circumstances, or the environment surrounding the teen. Whatever the root may be, Christian counselors are committed to helping the teenager cope and put their hope in Christ when overcoming these negative emotions.

Unlawful or Dangerous Behavior

Perhaps one of the worst nightmares of a parent is learning that their child is involved in criminal activity. This can leave any parent feeling like they have failed. However, all hope is not lost yet as they can tap the help of a Christian counselor to intervene in their child’s dangerous behavior.

Your counselor will work with your teen in the most therapeutic way they can. For instance, the counselor will, to the best of their ability, provide a safe environment where the teen will be able to express their thoughts and feelings about what led them to do or be engaged in such an activity. After that, the counselor will work with your teen and find other ways to approach these dangerous behaviors as well as how to disengage from criminal activity and find more productive and legal ways to cope.

Sexual Behavior Concerns

Sadly, modern society has made sex appealing and glamorous. This leads teens to be more promiscuous, practice unsafe sex, and even have multiple partners. Because of how modern society values and promotes sex, teens engage in it irresponsibly.

Professionals at Los Angeles Christian Counseling help teens understand the changes that come with adolescence, the raging hormones that come with it and the social pressure from other teens.

Christian counselors will make it a point to help your teen understand what are the implications of having sex, issues of sexual identity, how to preserve sexual health and integrity, self-esteem issues and how to cope with social pressure among their peers when it comes to sex. Teens can be usually shy, feeling off when it comes to discussing these things, especially with their parents.

Having a Christian counselor will help lessen the awkwardness as they provide a more objective approach and offer concrete advice on how to make right, healthy choices on sex.

Spiritual Matters

Almost everyone has had a point in their lives where they experienced faith-crisis. Teens go through a lot of doubting and questioning and may even face ridicule from their peers because of their beliefs. It is a fact that there are those who would mock or persecute Christians and young people are not exempt from it.

This could be a perfect time for the Christian counselor to guide and strengthen the teen’s faith. The Christian counselor may even choose to work with others with the teen just to encourage the teen that there are those who have also gone through similar paths and persevered.

When your teen undergoes Christian counseling, they have the opportunity to be under biblical guidance while processing the different concerns they have in life with the assurance that God is in control.

Take the First Step Today Toward Helping Your Teen

Los Angeles Christian Counselors are dedicated to helping and equipping children and teenagers lead successful, healthy and Christ-centered lives. No matter how small or big the concerns are, our counselors are ready to give the support, direction and kindness for you and your young ones.Most of the counselors are also parents and thus have a good understanding of what you and your children are going through. We at Los Angeles Christian Counseling are committed to ensuring a brighter, Christ-centered life for your children.

Contact us today to learn more or schedule an appointment or click here to browse our team of qualified Christian counselors.