Adolescent Issues

Today’s teenagers face a tough world and this fact often displays itself in the adolescent world, whether it be drug abuse, eating disorders, acting out behavior, or severe depression. We here at True Hope Counseling have a heart passion to walk with adolescents as they journey toward the adult years, aiding them in making wise choices and helping them break life-altering issues before they affect the rest of their lives.

Internet counseling works exceptionally well with teenagers due to the fact that the majority of today’s youth are actively involved in the world of internet. In the past year, True Hope Counseling has found time and again that more can be covered in one online session with a teenager than in a month’s worth of face-to-face sessions. The reason for this is simply because many teenagers have an “easier” time with written words sent via email or text messages than they do with face-to-face talking. Although we realize the vital importance of face-to-face skills, at the same time we have found that communicating with teenagers through their medium of choice (the internet/computer) is one of the most beneficial ways to conduct a counseling session.

A second reason this is a benefit is because internet counseling is not limited to real time, but can instead take place at times when a teenager is more apt to talk, such as late at night in an email to their counselor, rather than in the middle of the afternoon when the teen is more focused on homework, sports practice and dance recital demands.

Counseling sessions first involve establishing a trusting relationship with the teen client through listening and empathy as well as connecting with teens to their world by reading their online blogs, listening to their favorite songs, watching their moves, and then using those tools to launch, deep and thought provoking dialogue. It is during this dialogue process that the counselor is best able to help lead the teen into making wise decisions and choosing courses of action that they need to take concerning their particular situation.

Please note: Clients under the age of 18 are required to have a parent or guardian initiate the counseling process. Counseling sessions will not be given without signed consent of a parent or guardian!  Further confidentiality issues will be discussed at that time of the intake process.