We all want our teens to feel confident and secure, and while they may act like they’re invincible, the reality is life is coming at them so fast these days that “overwhelmed” might be their norm. Gone are the days where the biggest stressors were simply the biology test at the end of the semester, how to beat your sibling to the TV so you could watch your show, or whether or not your crush liked you back.
Teens today are facing more than ever, and anxiety in teens is on the rise. While that’s definitely unsettling and scary for parents to hear, the good news is that anxiety disorders are also very treatable. At Simi Psychological Group, our anxiety therapy in Moorpark can help them build confidence and face today’s challenges with gusto.
What’s “normal” anxiety and when should I be concerned?
Everyone gets nervous from time to time, and teens are notoriously self-conscious, but when experiences of anxiety start to interfere with your teen’s life, it’s a good idea to seek professional help. Some signs that your teen may have crossed that line include excessive worrying, overthinking things to the point of paralysis or tears, relentless self-judgment, having panic attacks, increased irritability, social withdrawal, and extreme distress upon criticism or fear of failure. Our caring therapists near Moorpark understand that.
Ok, so my teen has anxiety. Now what?
Make sure they know you’re on their side! Acknowledging their struggle and helping them understand that it’s not their fault, you’re not “disappointed in them,” and there is hope and help available is a huge step in the right direction. You want your teen to feel seen and validated. Taking action to help them find professional support such as anxiety therapy will be the first step in helping your teen build confidence.
How does anxiety therapy help build confidence in teens?
Teens today face so much pressure! Pressure to excel in school, pressure to perform well in sports, pressure to get involved in multiple extracurriculars, pressure to look good, pressure to be well-liked, and even pressure to be happy. The ever-present access to social media, changing bodies, and hormones only add to the chaos.
At Simi Psychological Group, we offer a range of Therapy services for teens both individually and in group format. Our anxiety therapy and treatment approaches are designed to help young people build self-compassion, self-regulation, and authentic connections. Our therapists near Moorpark Ca use evidence-based treatment to help your teen go from just surviving to thriving.
➔ Anxiety counseling helps your teen understand they are not alone.
Teens are inherently self-conscious, but a teen trying to manage debilitating anxiety is likely to feel isolated and alone. Therapy allows your teen the opportunity to understand that the anxiety they are experiencing is a common occurrence among teens. It helps them let go of those thoughts like “no one understands,” and “there’s something really wrong with me.”
➔ Anxiety therapy helps your teen identify and understand their emotions.
The teenage years are brutal when it comes to that emotional roller coaster. Raging hormones wreak havoc on the teenage mind and body. It’s easy to feel confused, overwhelmed, and alone. Our Moorpark therapists bring experience and compassion as they help your teens understand more about what’s going on within them. Helping teens identify their emotions, normalizing emotions, and learning how to even lean into their emotions in a healthy way is crucial.
➔ Anxiety therapy allows them to actively build healthy coping skills.
Through therapy, your teen will learn the skills they need to manage those emotions, gain the necessary skills and tools to address their stressors, and learn how to better balance their lives. We all experience discomfort and the natural inclination os to do our best to avoid it. Therapy will help your teen learn those strategies for coping with life’s inevitable ups and downs.
➔ Anxiety counseling will engage your teen in building meaningful connections to self.
The experience of connecting to the authentic self is an ongoing process. Developmentally, teens are in the midst of exploring who they are as humans. Therapy provides a safe place for them to process thoughts and feelings that help connect them to themselves and better understand who they are and who they want to be.
➔ Anxiety therapy will provide opportunities and build skills to connect with others.
Teens just want to fit in and be accepted. The pain and fear of rejection, especially during these years, can be excruciating. In group therapy, your teen can establish those meaningful connections with others and be fully accepted amongst peers. In individual therapy, your teen has support as they talk about and process their emotions when it comes to relationships. They also are empowered as they learn healthy social skills, communication skills, and relationship skills that will set them up for success.
➔ Anxiety therapy empowers your teen by building resilience.
Developmentally, your teen is going through one of life’s toughest periods. Therapy offers secure, compassionate, and powerful experiences that will arm your teen with tools they need to not only decrease and manage their anxiety, but to face life’s challenges with confidence. Your teen will find hope for the future and feel motivated to make things happen.
As parents, seeing our kiddos suffer is unbearable. As much as we want to help them and be the ones to make it all better, the truth is that professional help is one of the ways in which we can do that.
Anxiety therapy creates an experience of acceptance, validation, resilience, and empowerment that inherently improves self-esteem and builds confidence. To learn more about the services at Simi Psychological Group, your trusted team of therapists near Moorpark, Ca, contact our office at (805) 842-1994.
At our Simi Valley therapy practice, we offer Child therapy, Teen therapy, Anxiety Treatment, Depression Therapy, Marriage Counseling, and Neuropsychological Testing. We are now offering Teen online therapy in Los Angeles and Ventura County and most services online. For information on how to support your teen, check out our blogs where we spill the tea on everything adolescent.
Dr. Novak is the group practice owner and licensed psychologist at Simi Psychological Group a therapy practice in Simi Valley, California. Simi Psychological Group offers a variety of services including trauma therapy, couples therapy, anxiety therapy, teen therapy, and more. Simi Psychological Group emphasizes the importance of creating real change by making sure to get to the root of your struggles.
