5 Benefits of Teen Counselling

The teenage years are among the toughest to deal with in a person’s life.

The pressure of performing well while managing stress can sometimes be a bit too much to bear. Luckily, there are methods like teen counselling that can help teenagers deal with these issues.

It’s no secret that counselling helps people face stress and problems. It’s pretty much the same for teen counselling, which is designed to specifically benefit teenagers. So how exactly does it help?

What Are the Issues That Teens Today Face?

Before talking about the benefits of counselling, we first need to understand the stresses that teenagers face.

Adults and teens face very different issues on a day-to-day basis. For teens, some of the more common issues include:

Peer pressure and, in some instances, bullying
Challenges with trying to fit in with peers
Problems with schoolwork and academics
Home and family problems
The physical and emotional transition into adulthood
Mental health issues, like anxiety or depression

Aside from these, today’s technology may also be part of the problem. For example, studies correlate excessive social media use with many negative effects. Some of these include lower self-esteem, envy, negative body image, and so on.

Do note that just because these are “teen problems” doesn’t mean they’re less serious. The impact of these problems on mood and mental health is very real. This is why teen counselling is recommended for teens that find these problems overwhelming.

Types of Teen Counselling

The types of counselling can be classified based on the number of participants. For teen counselling, these are:

Individual counselling: This involves a one-on-one counselling session with a professional.
Family counselling: Family counselling, as the name implies, involves you and your family going for counselling at the same time.
Group counselling: This involves a counselling session with a group of either strangers or peers.

So, what type of counselling should you go for? Well, it depends on your goal. If you want regular counselling for day-to-day issues, then individual counselling should be fine. If you’re having difficulty communicating with your family, then go as a family.

Be sure to identify your goals for going to counselling before deciding on which type to go for. Finally, if need be, you can request your teen counsellor to shift between individual and group counselling. Consult with them for more details.

A common misconception is that counselling is for the weak of mind.

This is categorically untrue. Well into the 21st century, it’s more and more accepted that you’re better off to get rid of these incorrect notions about counselling and mental health.

There’s nothing wrong with you if you seek counselling. If anything, it’s even a sign of strength since you’re willing to face issues and problems head-on. Find a counsellor if you think that one can help.

Instead of focusing on the negative, we should shed light on the many advantages of counselling. Among the greatest benefits that a teenager can get from counselling are the following:

1. You keep your mental health in top shape.

The importance of mental health has always been known.

However, the value of prioritizing mental health has only become more recognized in recent years. Regardless of this, the mere fact that mental health is now a priority is a great thing.

The hype around prioritizing mental health isn’t just for show, as there are benefits to staying mentally healthy. These include the following:

Mood and emotions: Good mental health is usually associated with improved mood and more stable emotions.
Personal relationships: It’s not just you that can benefit from good mental health. It also has a positive effect on the people around you.
Coping with problems: Good mental health lets you deal with challenges healthily. Your ability to better cope with problems and challenges drastically improves as a result.
Self-esteem: Taking care of your mental health can help you get a more positive view of yourself. Your self-esteem and confidence will benefit.
Mental illnesses: Mental illnesses are much more likely to occur in people with no regard for mental health.
Physical health: Numerous studies already backed the link between physical and mental health. Staying mentally healthy reduces stress and lowers the risk of many diseases, like cancer, hypertension, and heart problems.

We’ve listed many benefits of good mental health, but these aren’t even half of the real advantages. You will get so much more than that, even.

So how does counselling help? With counselling, you get to express yourself properly; you have a way to vent out stress and more. Find a counsellor, preferably one that’s an experienced teen counsellor, and see the benefits.

2. You get to pick up some useful skills that can get you through the day.

When you’re in the classroom, you mostly just listen to your teacher give lectures, right? You learn while you listen, and that’s how you pick up new skills in the classroom.

Seeing a counsellor is somewhat a similar experience to what you’re used to in the classroom. It’s also very, very different from that.

For one, during an individual counselling session, it’s mostly going to be you that’s doing the talking. You share your thoughts, ideas, and other concerns, and your teen counsellor gives input while you do so. During this exchange, you get to pick up skills that you can use for your benefit.

Group counselling, on the other hand, also involves you talking and listening to others. You learn how they handle challenges and problems through listening. Luckily, this is also how you pick up new skills.

What kind of skills then can you pick up from counselling? Well, some of these include:

Communication skills
Time management
Stress management
Empathy and expressing emotions
Conflict diffusion

All these skills don’t seem very profitable at first glance. However, you’ll soon come to realize that these are handy skills to have as you grow older.

The earlier you get to develop and hone them, the more advantageous it is for you.

3. You get the time and space to express yourself without judgment.

You may be very selective about whom you share your thoughts to or how you express yourself. That’s alright — that’s perfectly normal, and there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, you choose who you open up to.

Luckily, teen counselling lets you express your innermost thoughts and feelings without any judgment. You don’t need to be wary about being looked down on or patronized. Just feel free to share all thoughts and emotions without worry.

Don’t underestimate the value of having a safe space to express yourself. Repressing thoughts and emotions excessively have been proven to be harmful to mental health.

With counselling, you make sure that you have an avenue for healthily expressing yourself.

4. You get to learn more about yourself and accept who you are.

All of us do some self-evaluation and introspection to an extent.

However, the perspectives you get from counselling can push you to examine your thoughts and actions differently. Indeed, you can’t truly know yourself if you don’t look at the past and present.

Seeing the pattern of your thoughts and actions helps you gain new insights into who you genuinely are. You get to solidify your identity and self-worth with the help of counselling.

What’s more, you can also learn to accept yourself in the process. These aspects regarding identity and acceptance are among the most important benefits of teen counselling.

So, why is it important to learn about yourself and accept who you are?

Well, you can’t really properly move forward to the future if you don’t do these. It’s easy to go from today to tomorrow without truly knowing yourself, but wouldn’t you rather do?

Knowing yourself and completely accepting your identity are great tools as you face tomorrow. With these, you dispel self-doubt, forge meaningful connections, and manage challenges while you move forward.

5. You nip problems in the bud.

All the skills you learn and the benefits you get from health have another advantage — pre-empting problems.

You minimize the impact of the problems before they get too big to deal with.

Of course, nipping problems in the bud doesn’t happen automatically just because you’ve been to counselling. You’ve got to actively apply all the things you’ve learned for this to happen.

Teen Counselling is a Valuable Way of Helping Teenagers Cope with Day-to-Day Life

No matter how big the problems are, leaving them unaddressed may not be a very prudent move.

It’s better to either face them head-on or to learn ways of adapting. Teen counselling is an excellent way of dealing with these problems and issues.

Are you or your teenager interested in teen counselling? If so, it would be a smart move to find a counsellor with years of experience.

Luckily, Capital Choice Counselling in Ottawa has these professionals in spades. Our professionals are highly experienced teen counsellors that can surely help. Many offer remote counselling or online therapy, so no matter where in Ontario you happen to be – from Toronto to Ottawa, Thunder Bay to Cornwall and everywhere in between, we’re here to help.