You feel the expectations of others (friends, teachers, parents, etc.) are too much to deal with, you don't know "who" to be.
You find yourself caught up in your mind, thoughts are racing, it is exhausting!
OR
Your teen is distant, spending more time on their own than they do with others.
You feel helpless to help them, they are shutting you out by either ignoring you or lashing out emotionally.
The adolescent years can be some of the most difficult years of our lives, both for the individual and their parents. The transformation that occurs during adolescence is confusing and all encompassing. Trying to navigate through this difficult time brings a whole set of new challenges that can leave you feeling helpless and uncertain of what lies ahead.
It isn't uncommon for teens to need help dealing with relationships, emotions, family problems, academic concerns and/or social stress. These demands can lead to self-esteem issues, anxiety in social situations, difficulty regulating emotions, and inappropriate coping skills (ex: cutting/self-harm). As a parent, this can be scary to witness, as a teen it can be completely overwhelming. At Dragonfly, we specialize in providing therapy for teen girls, with unique knowledge of the brain and behaviour changes that occur during this stage of development.
Our individual counseling sessions are designed to empower adolescent girls to express themselves freely in a confidential and non-judgmental environment. Our skilled psychologists work collaboratively with each individual to address a wide range of concerns, including:
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Anxiety and stress
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Depression
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Body image issues
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Self-esteem and identity development
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Academic and peer-related challenges
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Social skills and communication
"Adolescence is when girls experience social pressure to put aside their authentic selves and display only a small portion of their gifts"
Mary Pipher
At Dragonfly, our therapists specialize in building a trusting, non-judgmental relationship by meeting teens where they are at, not pushing them too far, which creates safety in session to explore. We have been providing counselling services to teens in Calgary since 2017.
Learning effective coping strategies creates resilience. Understanding how unhelpful thought patterns impact our reality plants the seeds of change. Being able to feel confident in your true self can be such a relief.
Change is possible, and when therapy is successful at this age it helps to set the individual up for success as an adult, as they have developed new skills to use for the rest of their lives.