Have you ever sat down across from a teen client and as you are checking in about the week you hear… crickets. One word answers. I don't know.
And as much as you try to meet them where they are at, build rapport, and increase engagement sometimes it feels like you have hit a brick wall.
0 Comments
Have you ever had a teen client where you know something is up?
Well… probably because you got a heads up from their parent, that likely came with an agenda that they will talk about it and “fix” it in therapy. You know the stuff - failing grades, sneaking out, the epic explosion that happened in the living room last night. 
2022 has been a productive year over at The Playful Therapist Blog filled with weekly blog posts, activities, and downloads!
I wanted to make sure in the hustle-and-bustle of clients, crisis, vacations, and well… life you didn’t miss the best of the best on the blog this year!! 
How often do you recommend coping skills to teens and they never get used?
In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy this is the behavioral part of the triangle. It’s the way that we help teens understand that a different response is possible to things that bother them, make them panic, or set them into a depressive spiral. 
How old is too old for play therapy? What do you think?
10? 12? 15? Most play therapy techniques and theories have been researched for children 10-12 and under. But what happens when a child turns 13? Is it that *poof* the need for play just stops? 
The field of Play Therapy can be confusing. You might go to one training or read a text that says one thing, and get the totally opposite answer from another. We often get pulled in many directions that it can lead us to search for the “right” answers.
I wrote an article about the 5 Myths We Need to Leave Behind in Play Therapy that I was so excited about I couldn't wait to add 3 more to the list! 
How often do you recommend journaling in your practice for teens?
Journaling can be an amazing and introspective practice and through this expression of self major benefits follow like boosting mood, managing stress, and lowering anxiety and depression. Journaling also has other amazing benefits like improving immune function and helping with memory. 
Notes are one of the never ending conveyor belt tasks of a therapist. Like laundry, wiping counters that never seem to stay clean (at least in my house with a 5 year old), or sorting all those random paper piles that just seem to spring up out of nowhere.
Just how long does it take you to write a progress note?
5 minutes? 15 minutes? 20 or more? For me? Just under 3 minutes. Done and done. 
When you think of self care what comes up?
Mostly it’s what you do outside of your workday when you shut your laptop and head out the door. Maybe it’s taking a walk after work, chatting with a friend (or a virtual coffee date) or even bigger things like getting a massage or having someone (that isn’t you) deep clean your car. |
Hi, there!I'm Ann Meehan, an LPCC, 
Archives
March 2023
Categories
All
|
Privacy Policies | Terms of Use | Disclaimer
Contact
ann@meehanmentalhealth.com | Copyright Meehan Mental Health Services 2022
Contact
ann@meehanmentalhealth.com | Copyright Meehan Mental Health Services 2022