During teenage years it is quite normal to feel all over the place emotionally, to have moments of despair and elation, to feel inadequate and supremely confident, to feel that the brain or body are not working as they should. Sometimes you might feel all of the above within the space of a single day!
Finding ways of coping can be wide and varied but sometimes, no matter what you do, your feelings do not shift, your mood won’t lift and it all feels too much.
And throughout this period of life comes the pressure of doing well in school, choosing a career and trying to imagine a future which for all kinds of reasons feels very uncertain.
And if managing anxiety depends on drugs, alcohol, gaming or addiction then other problems arise.
Psychotherapy provides a safe space in which to explore and make sense of all these conflicting feelings, and to find ways of resolving them.
That can lift anxiety and allow space for new experiences. As one positive step leads to another, the downward spiral can be reversed.
[Explain what’s next – Psychotherapy starts with an assessment]
Coming to talk to a psychotherapist about these difficulties can be overwhelming for some young people.
My experience with online sessions during COVID lockdowns has made me rethink this as not merely making the best of the situation but can sometimes be a much less threatening way of engaging.
Using online also makes it possible for adolescents and adults to access psychotherapy which was not possible and to be welcomed and continued.