Q & A
Teens' Questions about Counseling
Dr. Kyle's Answers
Sometimes it can be hard to cope with all of the changes that happen
during your teenage years and your transition into young adulthood. If
you are having trouble dealing with certain situations or emotions, you
might find counseling to be a helpful way to sort things out. Here are
some questions teens have asked me and my answers to those questions.
Q: Why
should I go to counseling?
A: If you are thinking about
whether counseling could be helpful to you, here are some questions to ask
yourself: Do you ever feel
really sad, frustrated, or lonely?
- Do you feel
especially angry, annoyed, or out-of-control?
- Do you feel very
anxious, worried, or guilty?
- Have you experienced some major problems at home, at school, or in
your neighborhood?
- Are you feeling stressed about what to do in your future (college/
work)?
- Have you noticed some changes in the way you sleep, eat, or think and
feel about life?
- Is it hard for you to talk about these feelings with your family or
friends?
- Are these feelings having a bad effect on your life-are they making
your schoolwork and your relationships with family and friends
difficult?
If you
answered YES to any of these questions, then it may be a good idea for you
to talk with a counselor (also known as a therapist). A therapist is an
adult who has special training to help people sort through their different
feelings and problems. Teenagers and adults go to counseling for many
reasons.
I can help you understand your feelings and problems and learn how
to deal with them in your everyday life.
I am
trained to understand feelings and behaviors and know ways to help
people through difficult times. I am a counselor / therapist who graduated
with a Ph.D. and holds a Washington State Counseling Credential and business
license. I am also the founder of “Opening Doors to Endless
Opportunities.”
I have 23 years of experience working with young
people and adults. I have also
been a teacher and a school principal. Most importantly, I understand
where teenagers are coming from and also understand the adult perspective.
Q: What will happen when I talk
to Dr. Kyle?
A:
When you talk with
me, you get a chance to talk about anything that is on your mind.
I will
listen to you and not judge you. You can talk about more serious things
some of the time, and you can talk about less serious things at other times.
Q: What should I expect from
counseling?
A:
I understands that it
takes a lot of courage to go into counseling and that it can often take time
to get used to talking and sharing in counseling. It's hard to tell on the
first session if you feel comfortable enough to talk about things that are
important to
you.
Try to give counseling a chance. If after a few visits you still
don't feel okay about talking, you should tell the person who referred you. Most likely you will have a chance to choose another counselor. This is
fine. It might take a few tries to find a counselor that you like, but
don't give up.
Since you will be talking about sensitive issues, you
deserve to have a therapist who you feel totally safe and comfortable with.
Q: What kinds of questions will
Dr. Kyle ask me?
A:
At the first
visit, I may ask you many questions about your life and how you've been
feeling during the past year. I may want you to bring your parent(s) or
guardian(s) with you on the first visit.
The type of help I offer will depend on what you tell
me. Teenagers often bring their
family members or other significant people to some of their counseling
sessions to help improve communication in those relationships.
Q: How long will counseling
last?
A:
Counseling lasts different periods
of time for different people. I will work with you to decide how the
sessions will fit into your schedule. You might meet with me once a week
for an hour.
Sometimes you might choose to meet less often (every two
weeks, for example). You can continue meeting with me for
as long as you need help working out your problems. This could be 1 week, 6
weeks, 6 months, or even longer.
Q: What else can I do?
A:
In addition to going to counseling, there are many activities you can do on
your own to try to work through difficult feelings and solve problems. You
might want to try talking with a parent, good friend, or another adult in
your life. You might try writing down your feelings in a journal or diary.
Other things to try are relaxation exercises, listening to music, watching
a good movie, or exercising. Also try getting involved in an activity that
you are good at such as a sport, drama, music, or hobbies. The combination of doing activities you like to do and talking
with a therapist will help to improve how you are feeling and make your
everyday life much easier.
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