Adolescent & Teen Counselling Calgary
Takeaway: Adolescence and young adulthood can present many challenges for teens. From relationships to mental illness, health issues, and more, your teen may benefit from some extra support. Counselling for teenagers in Calgary can teach them the skills they need to thrive in life.
Teens do not come with an instruction manual. Even with all of the information available in self-help books and the plethora of parenting advice on the internet, navigating the challenges and struggles our teens face can be overwhelming, both for them and for us.
Embarking on adolescence and young adulthood can be a tumultuous journey, filled with unique challenges that can be overwhelming for children and adolescents. Recognizing when your teen is struggling with friendships, anger management, panic attacks, low self-esteem, depression, addiction, anxiety, or self-harm and is in need of counselling and resources is the first step to giving them the tools to build healthy relationships with themselves and others.
As private practice therapists at Shelly Qualtieri & Associates in Calgary, Alberta, we provide a safe, non-judgmental space where your teen can learn essential skills to thrive in their life.
Reach out today to book your teenage counselling sessions.
Our approach to counselling teenagers
Many teens and children long for acknowledgement and validation of their struggles.
Navigating the tumultuous journey of adolescence requires more than just understanding; it demands a compassionate, empathetic connection from parents, families, and counsellors. Shelly Qualtieri & Associates in Calgary specializes in creating a safe haven for teens, where parents, families, and counselors can provide a compassionate, empathetic connection, helping them to be heard, seen, and validated while working to build confidence.
The skills, tools, and techniques we’ll teach your child with evidence-based treatment will help them cope with current and future stressors and identify negative thinking patterns, and your adolescents will feel better prepared to deal with life’s challenges.
Expert Techniques for Emotional Mastery:
If your young person struggles with emotional turbulence, anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide, or low feelings of self-esteem, our seasoned counsellors employ evidence-based therapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), and trauma-informed approaches. These techniques empower teens to regain control, fostering emotional regulation and a sense of confidence.
Strategic Preparation for Life’s Challenges:
Our Calgary-based counsellors understand the parental concern about teens acquiring essential life skills and the fine balance of encouraging your teen’s passions. Through personalized therapy and individual counselling, we set bite-sized, short-term, focused, and targeted goals with them, providing tangible, practical strategies and tools to implement into their everyday lives at school, in sports, and with family. This ensures they face life’s hurdles with resilience and optimism in the teenage years.
Cultivating an environment—in person or online counselling—where clients can have an opportunity to explore difficult circumstances and challenging emotions and establish strategies to process and manage their own feelings and behaviours will create resiliency and adaptability that will serve them throughout their lives.
Connect with us to see if we are a good match for your teen.
Who are our youth counselling services for?
Like many parents, you fear you may not know how to help your teen make the often-difficult transition into adulthood, leaving you feeling confused, frustrated, or hopeless.
Understanding Teen Struggles
Navigating adolescence can be challenging for both teens and parents. Our expert registered psychologist specializes in helping adolescents and children understand and address a range of issues impacting teens' emotional well-being, such as eating disorders, self-harm, anxiety, depression, fear, and other mental health issues.
Tailored Support for Families
Parents seeking professional guidance and therapy services and families aiming to enhance communication during the teenage years benefit from our tailored online counselling, individual counselling, and therapy. We provide invaluable assistance in fostering healthy connections and empowering families.
Compassionate & Empowering
At Shelly Qualtieri & Associates, we dedicate ourselves to compassionately supporting families dealing with various concerns during adolescence.
Benefits of counselling for teens
Through counselling, teens can develop a greater sense of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and problem-solving abilities, empowering them to navigate the complexities of adolescence with greater ease and confidence.
When your young person is struggling with challenges, mental illness, friends, school, or their community and displaying concerning behaviours, seeking teenage counselling early can be key to helping them be the healthiest they can be.
Here are a few indicators your teen may need the expertise of a psychologist: If you are concerned about signs of anxiety, depression, anger management, eating disorders, addiction, trauma, school performance, or overall well-being, our team of psychologists at Shelly Qualtieri & Associates is here to help you and your child.
Addressing Stress, Anxiety, and Depression:
Stress, anxiety, and depression are the most common health issues that teens experience. Counselling can assist adolescents in developing coping strategies and addressing these issues, resulting in improved family connections and allowing them to engage in their own extracurricular activities and school activities like before. Sometimes our teens may also require PTSD counselling for a trauma event they have experienced.
Navigating Identity and Self-Discovery:
Adolescence is a time of self-discovery; our counsellors assist teens in exploring and understanding their identity, values, and aspirations. Counselling provides a safe environment to examine thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, resulting in increased self-awareness and self-understanding.
Overcoming Self-Esteem Challenges & Building Self-Confidence:
Self-esteem and self-worth are the fuel for our future. For those struggling with self-worth and confidence, our therapists provide tools to build a positive self-image and navigate life with resilience. These attributes are the cornerstones of providing emotional security and are especially important for our children during the transition to adulthood.
Navigating Emotional Turmoil & Loss of Interest:
A loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, such as hobbies or sports, school, a relationship, or friends, may be a sign the teen years are creating problems with mental health, anxiety, depression, thoughts of self-harm, suicide, or other issues that many teenagers need help dealing with.
Teens with intense emotions, such as anger, sadness, or anxiety, can find a compassionate guide in our community of experienced therapists. Youth may experience trouble falling asleep, such as insomnia, because of psychological distress or anxiety.
Increased Resilience & Coping with Trauma:
Teens experiencing trauma, whether recent or past, may receive counselling and evidence-based therapy to foster healing and resilience. Counselling can assist adolescents in emotional healing, developing resilience and the capacity to recover from setbacks and difficult issues and adapt to change.
Managing Life Transitions & Building Healthy Relationships:
Our therapeutic approach equips teens with vital skills to navigate friendships, family dynamics, and romantic relationships, foster healthy connections, and develop effective communication skills to learn to set healthy boundaries.
Coping with Academic Stress:
Whether facing exam pressures or struggling with academic expectations, we provide strategies for effective stress management and academic success.
We are here to help. Learn more about how counselling can help your teen and your relationship.
FAQs about working with a Calgary therapist for teens
What age is appropriate for adolescent counselling?
How do I know if my teen needs counselling?
What will a therapist tell my parents?
Should I be looking for family counselling or teenage counselling?
Counselling for teenagers and counselling for families are two unique forms of treatment that each take a different therapeutic approach and have different objectives.
Deciding between family counselling and teenage counselling depends on the nature of the challenges. If the issues primarily involve individual struggles or concerns specific to the teenager, seeking teenage counselling may be appropriate. However, if there are broader family dynamics or communication issues contributing to the challenges, family counselling could be beneficial. It's essential to consider the specific needs and dynamics of your situation to determine the most suitable approach.
teen counselling
While both types of counselling journeys can be beneficial in addressing family issues, the focus of the family therapy and the modalities utilized may differ depending on the specific requirements of each individual counselling journey or family therapy.
Book your free 30-minute call to learn more about our counselling options.
What will my teen learn from working with a therapist for teens?
Your teen will learn helpful coping methods to handle stress, worry, and depression; increase their self-esteem and confidence; and develop better communication skills.
Raising a teen is a difficult job, and there’s nothing wrong with getting a little extra help. Therapy can provide a secure and accepting environment in which your teenager can examine their thoughts and emotions to promote emotional development and resilience.
Stress Management:
Teens will acquire effective stress management techniques, providing them with valuable tools to navigate the pressures of adolescence. Learning to cope with stress contributes to overall well-being and the development of resilience.
Effective Communication:
Talk therapy helps teens enhance their communication skills, fostering healthier friends, family, and authority figures. Improved communication contributes to conflict resolution and establishes a foundation for positive social interactions.
Emotional Regulation:
Teens learn to identify and regulate their emotions, promoting emotional intelligence. This skill is crucial for handling challenges, making informed decisions, and maintaining their mental health and well-being throughout various life situations.
We offer a space to talk and feel heard. Our counselling therapists and registered psychologists have extensive experience working with teens and young adults in Calgary and across Alberta, in person or virtually.
We would be happy to support you through this time with our counselling services for tweens, teens, and young adults.
Support your teen’s mental health by connecting them with a young adult therapist today
When youth are experiencing anxiety, emotional or behavioural problems, stress, depression, or any obstacle that is impairing their ability to function, develop, and be happy, therapy can be an amazing tool for growth and emotional healing.
Supporting your teen's mental health is crucial during the formative teen years, and connecting them with a young adult therapist in Calgary provides tailored sessions. Adolescence is a time of significant growth and development, both physically and emotionally, and it can be a challenging time for many young people.
As a parent, this can be scary to witness, and as a teen, it can be completely overwhelming. At Shelly Qualtieri & Associates, we provide full therapy services for teens with a great understanding of the behaviour changes that occur during this stage of development.
In counselling, we will provide you with practical, bite-sized strategies to implement in your daily life. Schedule a free consultation to get started.
