Talking to your teen about mental health treatment is intimidating. Your teen is in a vulnerable place, and may not be totally responsive to the conversations. It’s important to approach this type of conversation with compassion and care. Talking about getting mental health treatment may feel like it’s upturning your teen’s entire world. Take note of their words and body language as you have the conversation, and be sure to remain calm. We’ve laid out our top tips for having the difficult conversations surrounding mental health treatment.
Address Concerns with Compassion
When entering the conversation with your teen about getting mental health treatment, come prepared with talking points of concerns. Have concrete examples of why you are worried about their wellbeing. This could be instances of poor academic performance, mood swings, or substance use.
When it comes time to share these examples, present them in a careful, compassionate way. Instead of using accusatory language, use inclusive words. For example, instead of saying “you have been making poor choices,” say something like “we noticed that you are having a hard time with xyz.” Instead of saying “you, you, you,” choose language that is more “we” and “us” aligned.
Let Them Know the Plan for Mental Health Treatment
Your teen may be unaware of what mental health treatment entails. Before you have the conversation with them, do your own research on the program and what they can expect. Share this information with your teen so that they feel like a part of the decision making process.
Upon first thought, your teen’s reaction to mental health treatment may be to resist. This is completely normal. Don’t react to their resistance with combativeness, don’t fight fire with fire. Remain calm and let them know that you’re there to support them every step of the way. When you let them be a part of the decision making process, they are more likely to be into the decision.
Get to Know the Solution Based Treatment Program
At Solution Based Treatment, we offer intensive outpatient mental health treatment for teens. The benefit of outpatient mental health treatment is that your teen can stay at home and remain in their community while getting care. Having a familiar setting makes it easier for them to focus during treatment, removing the complications of adjusting to a new environment.
In our intensive outpatient mental health treatment program, your teen may participate in many different therapies. This may include group, individual, and family therapy, as well as EMDR therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and relapse prevention strategies.
Get Your Teen the Help They Need
The goal of mental health treatment for teens is to get them stabilized. The treatment journey is not linear, and will look differently for everyone. What works for one teen may not work for another. At Solution Based Treatment, we offer individualized care that is tailored to your teen’s needs. We work with your family and insurance coverage to place you in a program that works for your needs. If you have a teen or adolescent in need of mental health treatment, give our admissions team a call.
About Solution Based Treatment
Solution Based Treatment is a national leader in detox and rehab programs. We offer inpatient medical detox, substance rehab, intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization programs, faith-based recovery, and sober living options. We maintain a 2:1 client to staff ratio to offer the best support possible to our patients within upscale living environments. At Solution Based Treatment, we support better living for brighter futures, all starting with our detox and rehab services. For more information visit our website at solutionbasedtreatment.com or give us a call at (833) 999-1941.