Adolescence is an intense period of time where the child is in the process of separating from parents, making their way through puberty, and making important decisions about their futures.

Along with this intensity, there is a significant amount of stress.

Stressors for these teenagers come primarily from academics, conflict with parents, issues with their social experiences, and from demands and  responsibilities of their extracurricular activities. All of this at a time when they are facing serious challenges in managing peer relationships, bullying, violence and victimization.

Research shows that, while some stress is a good thing, ongoing and  unrelenting stress can have negative consequences on a person’s physical and mental health.

Today’s adolescent is following in their parents’ footsteps, overloading on work and striving for perfection. As a result, our teenagers are facing the same negative symptoms of the overly stressed  lifestyle: depression, drinking too much, obesity, and anxiety, among others.

If you are concerned about your teen and how they are coping with the stressors in their life, I would love to talk with you about how counseling can help.