You feel punched in the stomach every time you see how sad your teen is. Your gut tells you that this isn’t just a phase or some quick-passing funk, and you wonder why your teen is isolating themselves more and more.
Teen Depression: Signs, Support, and Treatment at The Center for Anxiety and Behavior Management
Whatever your teen is experiencing, you know that they need help. You can’t imagine your teen suffering any longer, and you fear that putting it off might only make matters worse.
Recognizing the Signs: When Your Teen’s Struggle Becomes Visible
Your teen’s mood changes are disrupting the family. They cry often, they’ve withdrawn, and their eating and sleeping patterns have changed. You’re scared because this is not the teen you’ve known. When you ask them what’s wrong, they say that they just don’t feel like themselves, and when you look in their eyes, they seem empty.
Lately, it’s as if a weight is on their shoulders, constantly pushing them further and further down. You can’t imagine your teen sinking any lower into this emotional abyss, and you desperately want to throw them a lifeline.
So, here you are, ready to get the ball rolling and pull your teen from sadness into happiness again.
A lot of the time, your teen feels overwhelmed by life and the expectations, rules, roles, people, and routines that make up their world. And, you know it’s time to get them the help that they need.
You truly want your teen to find their place in this world and to move into that space fully equipped and confident. But, you have no idea how that will ever happen if they can’t seem to feel excited for their future. You never imagined seeing despair cross your teen’s face. And, you certainly didn’t expect that it would be leading your teen away from the goals that they once envisioned. You’re ready for answers.
Signs That Your Teen Might Be Struggling with Depression
- Behavioral: your teen is sad, irritable, uninterested in things and/or people, or isolates themselves socially
- Cognitive: your teen has trouble concentrating or thoughts of suicide or hopelessness
- Mood: your teen often feels guilty, hopeless, disinterested, sad, or experiences mood swings
Transforming Lives: The Impact of Teen Depression Treatment at The Center for Anxiety and Behavior Management
- After seeking support from our expert team, you can expect to see:
- Relief from despair and irritability, allowing your teen to feel more like themselves
- Renewed interest in activities, with your teen actively engaging with family and friends
- A noticeable lightening of the emotional burden your teen has been carrying
- Significant boost in self-esteem, empowering your teen to face challenges with confidence/li>
- A brighter outlook on the future, replacing hopelessness with optimism and motivation
When You Seek Support for Teen Depression from The Center for Anxiety and Behavior Management
- Your teen will feel free from despair and irritability
- Your teen will engage in activities with family and friends
- Your teen will experience relief from the weight on their shoulders
- Your teen will develop higher self-esteem
- Your teen will have more hope for the future
The Teen Depression Counseling Process
Therapy for teen depression is intended to help your teen stop feeling so sad and hopeless. Together, your teen and their therapist will work with scientifically-backed, evidence-based therapies to help them gain control of their inner and outer worlds in more effective ways.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for teens with depression is scientifically-backed and evidence-based to help them learn to identify their triggers and overcome them in such a way as to be successful in school, with family, and with peers.
Here’s what to expect…
FIRST CONTACT: Free phone consult
Prior to beginning treatment with us, we want to make sure that we are a good fit for your teen’s needs. For this reason, we offer a free 15-minute initial phone consult to learn more about your teen’s current circumstances and to determine if we are the best resource for you. Assuming that we are a good match, you will then schedule an intake session.
WEEK ONE: Intake Session
During this initial 90-minute session, the assigned therapist will meet with you as the parent(s) or guardian(s) to gather background information on your teen and have you fill out rating scales to provide an assessment baseline upon which to build our treatment plan and goals.
WEEK TWO: Teen Intake Session
During this 45- to 60-minute session, the therapist will interview your teen as well as meet with you as the parent(s) to ask any follow-up questions which may be helpful in treatment planning and goal-setting to best meet your teen’s needs.
WEEK THREE: Feedback Session
Now that we’ve thoroughly assessed your teen’s needs, we will meet with you to discuss the diagnoses, identify starting goals, and provide education on the apparent causes and factors which are leading to your teen’s troubling thoughts and behaviors.
WEEK FOUR and Beyond: Teen Depression Therapy
At this point, your teen will attend regular weekly therapy sessions. A typical course of treatment calls for 12 to 16 weeks of therapy sessions, but treatment length depends on many factors and, therefore, could require more or less weeks. Additionally, your teen’s therapist may determine that your teen need to come more or less frequently, depending upon your teen’s presenting symptoms.
Together, in each subsequent session, your teen and their therapist will use evidence-based psychotherapy models to help your teen learn to identify and address the challenges they experience because of depression. This typically includes the integration of techniques from Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based CBT, or other evidence-based modalities.
Each session is designed to help your teen learn to discover more about and accept themselves for who they are.
TERMINATION: The Final Sessions
As your teen gets closer to their therapy goals, we will develop a plan for successfully transitioning them into a life without weekly therapy. This often means moving sessions from once a week to every other week, to monthly sessions, or to finishing out services completely. We also work with you and your teen to develop a relapse prevention plan at this time. Our goal is for your teen to be able to retain what they’ve worked on and to implement all that they have learned in therapy outside of sessions in their everyday life.
Are we the right providers for you?
Click below to request more info, and we’ll be sure to give you all the details about how we can help you take back control of your life.
More About The Center for Anxiety and Behavior Management
As a team of licensed therapists, we are experts at teaching you to make the behavioral choices that get you closer to your goals.
We work from an evidence-based perspective. This means that our job is to help you understand your struggles and provide solutions proven to be very effective. Negative thoughts, distressing feelings, and unhelpful behaviors don’t have to be part of your life, and depression therapy at The Center for Anxiety and Behavior Management is about changing the way you think, recognizing how your beliefs are holding you back, becoming informed, seeing the world more accurately, and engaging in behaviors that you won’t regret later.
We make it our mission to help you regain control of your life by providing effective strategies supported by science. We are dedicated to being on top of the most recent knowledge and helping you solve problems based on what the research says is effective. It is our passion to educate you on what is and isn’t working in your life so that you can get back in the driver’s seat and take yourself where you want to go.
Who Benefits Most from Depression Counseling for Teens
Therapy for teens with depression is best for those who are experiencing overwhelming sadness, irritability, anger, hopelessness, and/or social withdrawal. With the use of scientifically-validated and evidence-based therapy techniques, your teen can start to have hope for the future.
Your teen will benefit from depression therapy if:
- They are avoiding people, places, or situations they used to enjoy
- They can’t concentrate, and everything feels overwhelming
- They have suddenly stopped sleeping or sleep all day long
- They have changed their eating habits
- They feel hopeless about their future
There are certain situations where your teen might not be ready for counseling sessions with us.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Situations where your family’s schedules are too busy to commit to weekly therapy
- Situations where the teen or parent does not want to practice the techniques outside of session
- Situations where parents are not committed to the process
- Situations when teens or parents want a quick fix
If you are currently experiencing any of these issues, we can provide you with appropriate referrals for your level of care.
Supporting Your Teen: The Role of Parents in Depression Treatment
We believe in a collaborative approach to teen depression treatment. Here’s how you can support your teen’s journey to recovery:
- Open communication: Create a safe space for your teen to express their feelings
- Encourage healthy habits: Support good sleep, nutrition, and exercise routines
- Participate in family sessions: Learn strategies to support your teen at home
- Be patient and understanding: Recovery takes time, and your support is crucial
What Does Therapy for Teen Depression Cost?
Please see our FAQ page for more information
When and Where are the Counseling Sessions?
Our office is conveniently located at 259 Main Street in Chester, NJ, 07930.
Sessions are currently held by appointment only Monday – Saturday.
Frequently Asked Questions About Teen Depression
Depression in youth doesn’t have a single cause. It often results from a combination of factors, including:
- Biology
- Genetic predisposition
- Environmental stressors like academic pressure or social challenges
- Traumatic life events
- Chemical imbalances in the brain
- Other individual or environmental factors
Every teen’s experience is unique, which is why we provide personalized treatment plans at The Center for Anxiety and Behavior Management.
Childhood depression can be triggered by various factors, such as:
- Major life changes (moving, divorce, loss of a loved one)
- Chronic illness or pain
- Learning difficulties or academic stress
- Bullying or social isolation
- Family history of depression
- Abuse or neglect
Remember, identifying triggers is an important part of our therapeutic process to help your teen develop coping strategies.
While mood swings are common in teens, depression is more persistent and severe. Look out for:
- Prolonged periods of sadness or irritability (lasting two weeks or more)
- Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
- Significant changes in sleep or eating habits
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Decline in academic performance
If you’re unsure, it’s always best to consult with a professional. We’re here to help you navigate these concerns.
Mental health issues can emerge at any age, but many begin to appear during adolescence. It’s the same with depression. However, it’s important to note that:
- Some children may show signs earlier
- Each teen’s development is unique
- Early intervention is key for better outcomes
At The Center for Anxiety and Behavior Management, we’re experienced in recognizing and treating depression across all adolescent age groups.
Remember, if you’re concerned about your teen’s mental health, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to provide the support and guidance your family needs during this challenging time.
Your Next Steps
It’s entirely possible for your teen to overcome depression.
A happy, fully engaged teen may seem a long way away, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t start to take small steps toward better self-esteem. They just need the support of a caring professional and evidence-based treatment strategies while they move to overcome it.
Your teen will be able to more fully engage in their everyday life. And, your family will have harmony in your home.
Ultimately, your teen will be able to handle the tougher times in life. We can help.
Call or text (908) 883-4173 or book an appointment to schedule your 15-minute phone consult to see if we’re a good fit for your teen’s depression needs today!
Our Team
Meet our experienced & professional team
Our therapists’ commitment to providing quality treatment and giving you practical, action-oriented strategies are why we are one of the most sought after mental health practices.
