Supporting Teens using Talking Therapy

Supporting Teens using Talking Therapy

Many young people are struggling with how they feel. They are having problems with friends, family or school. They are anxious, depressed, angry or scared and need to talk to someone, but find it difficult to talk to people they know. There can be many factors why this might be: peer pressure, cyber bullying, problems at home…

We know that young people face more pressure than ever before. The exposure to social media and the ever-increasing social pressure from their peers contribute to the increase in problems with mental health. A culture in which teenagers are expected to be perfect has not helped the cause either. The ever-increasing demands to meet school deadlines and secure a future in a world which is so precarious right now can lead to a break down in wellbeing.

Counselling and other advice services can help young people talk things through in confidence (unless they disclose that their personal safety is at risk) and support them without making them feel judged. Advice services can make a positive difference to their lives. Counselling is the most common form of talking therapy and is sometimes available on the NHS through the GP surgery, or through school-based counselling. It can help young people deal with issues and events and the effects these are having on their mental wellbeing. Counselling could be recommended for young people who are basically healthy but who are struggling with a mental health disorder such as depression or an eating disorder: it can address problems with anxiety, bereavement, bullying, anger, relationships, low self-esteem and self-harm. The counsellor will help explore the problem, the symptoms and offer strategies for coping.

What I’ve learned from counselling young people.

How is adolescent/child therapy different from adult therapy? Everybody knows the classic image we all have of adult therapy where a client is lying on a couch talking about their past while a silent therapist sits behind them taking notes. That doesn’t work with kids, and for two big reasons. One is that kids get really bored sitting still and talking about themselves fast. But secondly, they don’t have much of a past. They are living that past right now. The way that you get this with child therapy is through the language of play.

Children express brilliantly what they are living through toys, games, activities, art, acting – any of these things. This is the way kids grow. And to parents, it will often sound silly and look ridiculous because they will say, ‘what are you doing?’ But the fact is that a kid will grow more through the trauma of a divorce or their dog dying or anything like this through sitting with a good therapist and playing a game, drawing a picture, heaving water balloons than being asked to talk about their feelings. And the cool part is unlike with a dentist or a GP, kids will actually want to come back.

When I worked for The Mix, we offered telephone and online counselling. It’s not hard to see why online counselling is growing in popularity. Tech is a part of modern life – especially for millennials, the biggest group of users on PlusGuidance – and NHS mental health services are overstretched.

Remote, text-based counselling is growing in popularity in the UK. The doctor app Babylon offers therapy to 150,000 active users, while PlusGuidance, an online counselling service, has 10,000 users. The US-based service BetterHelp also has 150,000 registered UK users (though not all are active). Talkspace, another online therapy platform, reports it has 500,000 registered users worldwide, with most in the US.

What else is required to support young people?

Friends and family can be a vital source of support and can help young people cope with stressful situations and difficult times. When a young person is feeling down or having a hard time, it is important for them to spend time with other people.

Be positive about counselling as an option. Your child might well not ‘gel’ with the first counsellor they see (and this is like people we meet everywhere – we get on with some and not with others). Look for someone else, rather than giving up. Remember they might feel more comfortable with an online service, rather than a face-to-face.

Marc Bush, chief policy adviser at Young Minds, said that while online counselling services are valuable, “they shouldn’t replace face-to-face therapy with a trained professional. If a young person is struggling, we would encourage them to talk to their GP in the first instance, or to contact an established service like The Mix, Childline or the Samaritans.”

Where do you start looking for support?

A GP might try to refer a young person to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) for counselling, but it is increasingly difficult to do this – the child’s symptoms generally have to be quite extreme to meet referral thresholds and waiting lists can be very long.  However, they might know about alternative local counselling provision for young people. Schools can also refer young people to CAMHS. In addition, many schools have their own counsellor or mental health nurse on site and young people can often benefit hugely from having this kind of support in school. Charities offer opportunities for young people to get advice, support and solidarity from helplines, group forums and message boards, email- webchat- text- and email services. Counsellors and therapists are available privately – it can seem quite overwhelming trying to find someone you think is suitable, so check on bona fide directories and look for recommendations.

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

Professional body that sets standards for therapeutic practice

Counselling Directory

Lists private counsellors and psychotherapists who are registered by a professional body.

British Psychological Society

Information on how psychologists can help with mental health problems, and how to find a psychologist.

Youth Wellbeing Directory

Lists of local services for young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Online and phone support for children and young people:

ChildLine

Children can confidentially call, email, or chat online about any problem big or small

Freephone helpline: 0800 1111 (24-hour service)

Sign up for a ChildLine account on the website to message a counsellor anytime without email

The Mix

Provides a confidential helpline, email, webchat and telephone counselling service for young people under 25 Freephone: 0808 808 4994 (daily 13:00-23:00)

Kooth

Provides free, safe, anonymous online support for young people – counselling, messaging, personal stories. Only available in certain parts of England and Wales.

Relate (for children and young people)

Children and young people’s counselling for any young person who’s having problems.

Free Live Chat session with a trained Relate Counsellor Phone: 0300 100 1234

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