Second Nature Utah Wilderness Family Therapy is an outdoor-based therapy program that assists teens and families that may not be benefiting from more traditional therapeutic modalities. Here, wilderness healing programs help teens find hope and healing within nature, and on-trail intensives. In the following article, Second Nature Utah reviews various ways parents can help their teens going through turbulent life events, how to be a beacon of hope and support, and when to seek additional therapies if necessary.
Being a teenager in the world right now is rough. The stats alone are terrifying:
Around one in five teens suffer from at least one mental health issue and more than 11% of US teens have experienced a depressive episode in the past 12 months. The number of teens suffering from severe depression is up 3%. Fourteen percent of teenagers are affected by bipolar disorder states Second Nature Utah Wilderness Family Therapy.
And one in three teens suffers from an anxiety disorder.
Factor in the availability of drugs and alcohol, the pressure from peers and social media, bullying in schools, a ruthless global pandemic, a housing crisis, Zoom schooling, a looming financial crisis, and the classic growing pains of crushes, break-ups, rejection, relocation, family problems…
Life for our kids is hard.
Second Nature Utah Wilderness Family Therapy discusses below five of the most proven coping mechanisms to help our teens through these wildly turbulent times.
Listen and Really Listen to Them
Second Nature Utah finds that many parents think they are good listeners until they see themselves in action. If you don’t have the luxury of recording yourself in a conversation and hearing yourself played back, take this tip instead:
Take a deep breath and focus on the words being said. Don’t formulate an “appropriate” response. Listen actively, ask for clarification where needed, and allow the speaker to work through as much of the data as they need to in order to feel heard according to Second Nature Utah.
Use Affirming Words that Signal Gratitude, Reassurance, and Strength
As complicated as this may sound, all it really means is using words that make it clear that the teenager going through hardships can:
- Trust you to keep the information confidential: “I’m glad you trusted me with this. I won’t let you down.”
- Trust that you want to be involved and to hear what they are saying: “Thank you for letting me in. Knowing what you are dealing with helps me to support you, whatever the situation.”
- Trust that you will act in their best interest: “You will get through this. I will be by your side.”
Effectively, Second Nature Utah finds that trust is the #1 emotion a teen in trouble needs to feel when they open up about their battles.
Find Additional Support
Second Nature Utah Wilderness Family Therapy says that it is important to normalizing seeking help, to role model this for the teenager involved. There can be shame and stigma around professional counselling or therapy, and it is vital that the teen sees seeking support as a sign of strength and functional behavior.
Be a Soft Place to Land
This may be a Dr. Phil-ism but being a stable and reliable constant in a child’s life really opens itself up to a wealth of benefits for the child. Teens who know to count on an adult in their life are more likely to share the good—and the bad—with that adult, openly and readily.
Part of being a soft place to land is learning to discipline wisely. Disciplining, judging, and punishing a teen for opening up teaches them one lesson: do not open up.
Learn to Praise Properly
“Well done! That was perfect.”
It seems like genuine and positive praise, but phrases like this teach teens that nothing less than perfection is okay.
“You’re so smart / beautiful / talented / tall” all affirm to any teen that this is the yardstick by which they will be measured. Since the teen has no control over those aspects of themselves—and can lose them at any time—they are all the more precarious a ledge on which to perch one’s fragile self-esteem.
Instead, try praising teens for their actions: “I love that you share your day with me, thank you!”
“I’m so proud of how you advocate for animals.”
“I really admire your hard work and ambition.”
Compliments like this reassure teens that what is inside them is valuable, and that they have control over the aspects of themselves that people value. They also make the teen more likely to share bad times without fearing disappointment or loss of dignity.
