Teen Counseling: Discussing Back-to-School Anxiety

As Summer comes to an end and the new school year approaches, it's normal for many teens to feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. The thought of going back to school can stir up a range of emotions. 

Teen Counseling: Social Media and Teen Mental Health

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You know that social media and the endless scrolling that it entails are stealing your time. You recognize getting caught in this repetitive loop but you can’t seem to reel it back in. As you scroll, you feel your anxiety rising as you compare yourself to others. You edit posts repeatedly, agonizing over how others will see you.

Your heart drops when you see your friends post that they were out having fun and realize that you weren't invited. That sense of rejection feels like a fire that lights you up inside. Suddenly, you’ve become your worst critic as your internal voice comments and compares each time you open TikTok and Instagram.

Teen Counseling Orlando Resources

You know your teen is ready for therapy. Things are getting wonky at school and home and they need the support of someone to help navigate these turbulent waters.

You also know just how important it is to match your teen with a therapist that is a good fit. You don’t want to try multiple therapists before finding the right person because that will likely deter them from therapy altogether. Time is of the essence and you’re searching to find a therapist that meets your family's and your teen's needs.

Orlando Therapist Helps Your Teen Navigate Through College Rejection Letters

Your teen has been excitedly awaiting their college acceptance letters. They check the mail and their email daily in anticipation that they will soon hear back from colleges after working hard on their applications. As their parent, you’re anticipating this news as well and join in on their nerves and excitement!

They open their first response from a college and as they do so, you watch their face fall into disappointment. After all their hard work, they received a letter that they were not granted acceptance into college. Your teen is crushed and upset by this rejection and unsure how to handle it. As their parent, you feel their pain and defeat. How do you help your child through receiving this bad news?

Teenage Counselor Shares 31 Healthy Activities for Teens in Orlando

As a group practice that specializes in teenage counseling in Orlando, we know what it’s like to constantly figure out exciting activities for your teenager! With Spring Break just around the corner, we brainstormed a comprehensive list of activities for you and your teen to enjoy in Orlando. We included ideas for different interests, ages, and activities to account for those rainy Florida days.

Teenage Counselor Helps Your Anxious Teen With College Applications

It’s that time of the year - college application deadlines are looming. You see your teen wracked with nerves as these deadlines creep up. You notice the overwhelm they’re experiencing as they fill out each form, submit transcripts and test scores, and then anxiously await a response. What can you do to help them through this difficult process?

Anxiety Therapist Shares What you Want to Know About Teenager Counseling

You recognize that your teen needs help. You’ve been trying to use all the tools that you have but it doesn’t seem to be helping your teen feel better. You’re starting to think that it’s time to seek out professional help by finding a teen counselor. Although you recognize the need for this, it’s intimidating to start the process of looking for a counselor for your teen.

At Mindful Living Counseling, we’re here to help you with this process. In this post, we’ll define what teen counseling is, what to look for in a teen counselor, what to expect in counseling, and much more.

Orlando Therapist: 5 Tips to Ease Anxiety

It’s that time of year again! You feel like your Summer went by in the blink of an eye and are preparing for back-to-school season. You feel your anxiety start to peak again at the thought of going back. Or maybe you’re nervous about starting at a new school or starting high school. The thought of walking into the classroom again makes you worry about all the new people and places you’ll be facing.

It is normal to be nervous about the first day of school but what happens when these nerves start to have a negative impact on your mood? Knowing what to do to manage these feelings can be helpful in getting yourself ready for going back.

Orlando Therapist: How to Validate Your Teen so They Feel More Understood

You find yourself often at odds with your teen - bickering, fighting, and disagreeing. Your teen often says “you never listen to me” or “you don’t understand.” You try to show them that you are present, listening, and understanding, but this message doesn’t seem to sink in with them.

You want to improve the conversations you have with your teen, but you don’t know where to start. A powerful tool in communication is validation - giving your teen the recognition that you understand their emotions, thoughts, and perspectives. Validation can be a powerful tool to use in conversation. Using this technique can convey that you are present, listening, and seeing where your teen is coming from. When your teen feels understood and heard by you, this often helps improve the desire to hear you out as well.

Orlando Therapist Shares Anxiety Symptoms in Teens

You’re confused and lost about how to help your teen. You’re worried about changes you have seen in your teen and even more worried that you don’t know how to help them with this. It concerns you that you’re not sure what is causing these changes or what is going on with them.

Orlando Therapist Shares Myths About Teen Counseling (written for the teen)

You’re overwhelmed, you’re confused, and you're realizing that you need more help than talking to your friends can give you. You want to talk to your parents about getting counseling, but you don’t know if they’ll understand. You worry about your parents’ reaction if you even bring up counseling to them - will they blame themselves? Get upset with you for asking for counseling? Ignore how you’ve been feeling?

Orlando has a lot to offer teens - theme parks, wonderful natural parks, springs, and the beach is only an hour away! Sometimes, however, we need to extend our search beyond fun destinations. There are times we need to search for a teen therapist in Orlando.

Bringing your teen to counseling for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. If this is your first time going to a therapist as well, maybe you are unaware of what to expect or what will happen during the first session. You may have found a great counselor for your teen in Orlando, but what should you expect to happen during the first sessions?

Finding a therapist to help your teenager can be tough. You may search for “teen counselor in Orlando” on Google and find many results - but how do you know which one is the right fit for your teen? What questions should you ask to choose a counselor? It can be difficult to know how to find the right counselor for your teen, especially if this is the first time you are looking for a counselor. I am here to help you navigate this task! My name is Elizabeth Chambers and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Orlando who specializes in working with teens.