Belleisle
TEEN THERAPY OTTAWA AND GATINEAU
What is Teen Therapy & How Is It Different From Adult Therapy?
While therapy for adults and psychotherapy for teens have some similarities, there are some significant differences between the two in the following areas:
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PRESENTING ISSUES
Teenagers are at a developmental stage of their lives where they are in the process of figuring out their identity and how to establish their autonomy. Some of the issues teens deal with that adolescent therapy might focus on include challenges with their friendships, social rejection, academic pressure, or impaired academic performance.
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CONFIDENTIALITY
During the initial phase of teen counselling, therapists discuss the limits of confidentiality with the teen and their parents. While child psychologists make every effort to preserve a client’s confidentiality, there are limits to confidentiality because the client is a minor. If a teen discloses issues that may impact their safety during therapy, their therapist may share that information with the teen’s parents in order to protect their client from harm.
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COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS
A child psychologists will typically work with parents to address communication styles and family patterns that are impacting the client’s symptoms or presenting issues.
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Signs Your Child or Teen May Need Therapy
ACADEMIC CHALLENGES
If your child or teen is experiencing impairment in academic performance or difficulty focusing, these may be signs that they can benefit from therapy.
BEHAVIORAL CHANGES
If your child or teen starts exhibiting behavioral changes such as fluctuations in sleep or appetite, reduced motivation to engage in activities they typically enjoy, withdrawing from others, or difficulty regulating their emotional responses, it may be time to consider therapy.
ACADEMIC CHALLENGES
Self-harm behaviors such as cutting or impulsive behaviors can escalate and are usually signs that your child or teen is dealing with emotions that they may not have a proper outlet for and are having difficulty managing on their own.
ACADEMIC CHALLENGES
If your child or teen is exhibiting persistent signs of being sad, anxious, or more irritable than usual, it may be time for them to start therapy to address their symptoms.
Benefits of Our Child and Teen Therapy Services in Ottawa
Our services provide the following benefits for our child and teen clients:
They learn coping tools to assist them in labeling and regulating their emotions effectively
They learn effective communication skills to improve their relationship with peers and family
They develop coping strategies to manage academic or social stressors adaptively
They experience an increase in their motivation, focus, and productivity
They feel empowered to navigate difficult situations with the right tools and experience an increase in self-esteem
Ottawa Counselling for Children at Belleisle Clinic
At Belleisle Clinic, we are skilled in building rapport and trust with children and teens, which is an essential component of treatment success.
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Our teen and child therapy services in Ottawa include a collaborative process where we work together with you as a team to address your child or teen’s needs by keeping you updated on their progress and any strategies that can be used at home to maximize the progress your child is making in sessions.
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At our clinic, we offer the following services for children and teens:
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PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT SERVICES
We offer comprehensive psychoeducational assessment services that can assist with diagnosis and finding underlying causes of behavioral, cognitive, or learning issues your child or teen may be experiencing. Learn more about our psychoeducational assessment services for children and teens here.
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CBT
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment approach that teaches clients practical coping tools to manage their symptoms and challenge their negative thoughts as well as shift the behaviors that are impacting their symptoms. Our teen therapists specialize in adapting CBT techniques to meet the needs of your child or teen and the developmental stage they are in.
PLAY THERAPY
Play therapy is a treatment approach that utilizes developmentally appropriate games and toys to assist children in learning how to effectively process and communicate their emotions and thoughts so that they can thrive at school, with peers, and at home.