Group Therapy for Teens & Young Adults
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Is your teen or young adult already in individual therapy yet it doesn't seem to be enough?
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Does your teen or young adult struggle to accept feedback, input, and advice from you or their therapist?
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Would the feedback input, and advice be more meaningful from your teen or young adult when it comes from a positive group of teens or young adults?
As parents, we watch as our children grown and transition from leaning on us as a source or support, comfort. and guidance to leaning on their friends for these needs.
When we have teens or young adults who are struggling with things like depression, anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, PTSD or other challenges, we would do anything to rid them of these debilitating challenges.
We help to the fullest extent of our own knowledge, skill, and abilities and sometimes it's just not enough. We provide feedback, input, and advice based on our years of life experience and it doesn't seem to carry the weight we would like it to.
"If only they would just listen" is a truism and a phrase that many parents find themselves thinking or saying.
We watch as their friends seem to have a greater influence on them than we do at this age. As we watch the influence friends have on them, group therapy for teens and group therapy for young adults starts to, more and more, seem to be something that could help.
Led by a therapist who specializes in teen therapy and young adult counseling, the therapist can help group members form a positive peer group. This positive peer group can provide the feedback, input, and advice to help them learn to manage or overcome the challenges in their way.
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Effectiveness of Group Therapy for Teens & Young Adults
Group therapy has historically been a very effective therapeutic intervention for teens and young adults. In fact, one study shows that group therapy is 73% more effective than other forms of therapy.
Study after study has shown the effectiveness of group therapy for teens. Below are some of the research articles demonstrating the effectiveness of group therapy for teens & young adults.
Common Reasons Teens or Young Adults Start Group Therapy
Group therapy for teens and group therapy for young adults is a powerful therapeutic approach as it incorporates their same age peers in the therapy process. As their parent, you can provide them your wisdom and advice and it may be meaningful.
But when one of their friends gives them the same wisdom and advice, it suddenly becomes THE most amazing piece of wisdom and advice. They then wonder why you as their parents haven't shared this with them when you know you already have.
This is the age where teens and young adults find comfort and support more so in their friends than they do their parents. This is a natural psychosocial development stage that we all went through. This helps teens and young adults start to separate from their parents gearing up for independence as an adult.
Group therapy, led by a teen counselor or young adult therapist, helps create a positive peer culture in a group therapy setting. Understanding that the feedback their peers give them may carry more weight and influence, the group therapists skillfully utilizes this principle to help the teens and young adult in the group.
Some common reasons teens or young adults start group therapy are:
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They are in individual teen therapy or young adult counseling and it doesn't seem to be enough
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They don't want to start individual teen therapy or young adult counseling but are willing to give group therapy a try
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They are looking to gain or enhance social skills
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Because of depression or anxiety, they may feel isolated, disconnected, and alone
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Teens and young adults feel a sense of normalcy when they hear others in the group "tell their story". This can help take away the stigma and shame they may feel around their struggle.
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Teens and young adults no longer feel "alone" in their struggle as they hear others talk about very similar challenges
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Teens and young adults are able to get outside their own headspace and hear feedback from an outside point of view
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Teens and young adults gain a sense of hope when they see others in the group finding success
Common Life Struggles Group Therapy Can Help With
Group therapy for teens and young adults can be a standalone therapeutic intervention. Group therapy can also be used to supplement the teen or young adult's individual therapy.
While those teens and young adults who participate in group therapy may have different experience, they all share one thing in common -- the current emotional or behavioral challenges they face.
Group therapy can help teens and young adults learn to manage or overcome their challenges. Group therapy is effective in addressing the following life challenges:
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Social Skills Development
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Positive Body Image
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Effects of Social Media
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And more . . .
We generally create the groups based on the prevalence of challenges that we are helping teens and young adults overcome through individual therapy. Yet if you have a need for a group that we are not currently offering, please contact us to explore the option of starting a group for your specific need.
If you have a teen or young adult who is struggling with any of the above life challenges, group therapy can help. Contact us today to register your teen or young adult for group therapy.
Current Groups Being Held for Teens or Young Adults
While over time, we shift what groups are available based on the needs of the community, below are the groups currently being offered.
Co-ed Group Therapy for Teen Depression & Anxiety
This group is a co-ed, closed group, available for the first 8 teens who register. Ages for this group are between 14-17. It is an 8-week group and is $70 per group which is paid up front.
This group will be led by Jason Drake, LCSW-S, BCN, Owner & Lead Clinician at Katy Teen & Family Counseling. Jason has been providing counseling and therapeutic services to teens, young adults, and families since 2003.
The purpose of paying up front is to encourage group members to attend each week. As group members consistently attend weekly, the group members are able to develop greater trust between group members and are more likely to share the struggles they are currently experiencing.
This group will cover psychoeducation on teen depression and teen anxiety, coping skills to learn to manage or overcome depression and anxiety, drawing on group members for coping skills that have been effective for them, and positive peer support.
Building Social Confidence for Boys: 9th - 12th Grades
Does your teenager son have difficulty making or keeping friends? Does he struggle with low self-esteem or low self-image? Does he get anxious in social situations and have difficulty expressing himself?
If your son struggles with any of the above, he is a good fit for the "Building Social Confidence" group at Katy Teen & Family Counseling. This will be an opportunity for your son to learn important skills and experience meaningful relationships with peers.
Parent Support Group
Parent Support Group is a group designated specifically for parents of a struggling teenager. Raising teenagers can be challenging in the best of situations. When your teenager is struggling with depression, anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, ADHD/ADD, trauma, PTSD or other challenges, the complexity level raises substantially as a parent.
In the Parent Support Group, you will be with other parents who are parenting a struggling teen which can help with, among other things:
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Understanding you there are other parents in similar parenting situations
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Gain a sense of normalcy for your parenting approach as other parents "tell your story"
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Gain helpful insight from other parents
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Be provided with psychoeducation, resources, and tools from the therapist leading the group
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Receive weekly support as well as access to the therapist leading the group in between sessions
Parent Support Groups are held weekly. The more you attend, the more you will get out of the group. And we also know that as a parent, life is busy, and you are welcome to attend as needed or preferred.
Start Group Therapy for Teens & Young Adults, & Parents at Katy Teen & Family Counseling
At our Katy, Tx location of Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we provide teen therapy and young adult counseling. In addition to individual therapy and because of the effectiveness of group therapy, we also provide group therapy for teens and group therapy for young adults.
Parent Support Group is another group that we provide. Parents have requested this group, and it can be a powerful resource and support for you as a parent.
If you, your teen, or young adult is ready to start group therapy, all you need to do is follow these 3 simple steps:
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Contact Katy Teen & Family Counseling
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Speak with one of our talented group therapists
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Start your journey of healing and support through group therapy
Other Therapeutic Services Offered at Katy Teen & Family Counseling
At Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we also provide marriage counseling and couples therapy, and therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
In addition, we also provide the following additional services in Katy, Tx, Houston, and the surrounding areas:
Board Certified Neurofeedback Therapy for Teens:
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And More . . .
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) for Teens:
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Teen Sports Injury Related Anxiety
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And more . . .
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Teens:
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Adoption and Attachment
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And more . . .
Counseling for Gifted Teen Students:
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Neurofeedback Therapy for Increased Mental and Intellectual Peak Performance
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Teen Perfectionism
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Teen Self-Esteem
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Teen Self-Worth
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And More . . .
Therapy for Talented Teen Athletes:
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Neurofeedback Therapy for Optimal Brain Performance for Improved Athleticism & Peak Performance
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EMDR Treatment for Teen Anxiety Related to Injury
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Teen Perfectionism
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And More . . .
