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1614 X St., Suite A
Sacramento, CA 95818
US

916-287-3430

Thrive Therapy & Counseling provides high quality therapy to Highly Sensitive People and to kids, teens or adults struggling with anxiety, depression or self-esteem.

Blog

This blog is written by a therapist in midtown Sacramento and focuses on the concerns and struggles of highly sensitive people (HSPs) and of kids, teens and adults struggling with depression, anxiety or just trying to figure out what they want for themselves.  There's help and hope through counseling and therapy!

Filtering by Category: teen depression

Talking About Depression

Ivy Griffin

For any teen, struggling with depression can be overwhelming, and figuring out how to talk to people about it can be daunting. It’s common for anyone struggling with depression to avoid talking to their support system because they are worried about loved ones either overreacting, or being dismissive. 

Facing depression alone can intensify feelings of loneliness and isolation making the depression worsen, so identifying trusted supports are key. A trusted support might be a specific parent, teacher, friend or mentor that you feel comfortable opening up to and feel has an ability to be calm, positive and supportive. Don’t be scared to directly state what you need from that person in the start of the conversation i.e., “I just need you to listen,” or “I just need to get this off my chest,” et cetera.

As a therapist I recognize that not everyone is fortunate enough to have trusted supports in their life, or be at a place where they are ready or comfortable to open up. If that is the case, I encourage you to find a space and a method to let out and express things that you’re struggling with in a way that feels authentic for you. Some things to try might be

  • Journaling

  • Running or talking a walk

  • Music (listening or playing)

  • Painting

  • Drawing

Find an outlet that fits you and your interests in life. If you feel ready to talk to someone, but don’t feel comfortable confiding in someone currently in your life you might consider giving therapy a try - Therapists are trained to be non-judgmental objective third parties. In case your depression happens to be more severe and you are struggling with self harm or suicidal thoughts you can text or call 988 to be connected with real time professional support.

Warmly,

Megan Bell LMFT #114303

she/her

categories teen depression, teen mental health
tags teen therapist, depression, mental health

Starting Therapy as a Teen: What to Expect in Those First Few Sessions

Ivy Griffin

If your teen is in therapy for the first time, you might wonder what’s going on during those first few sessions, and your teen might be wondering what to expect when talking to a therapist for the first time. It makes sense to be curious or even nervous for this new experience. Building rapport is an important part of therapy, and especially important when working with teens. Making a true connection with someone is a vital first step towards effective therapy. Everyone is different, but it usually takes a few sessions to start to build a sense of trust and comfort with a new therapist. This is especially true for teens, who might be apprehensive about attending therapy to begin with. Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re a teen or a parent of a teen who has questions about what those first few sessions might look like: 

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categories child therapy Sacramento, communicating with teens, parenting sacramento, teen anxiety, teen depression
tags teen therapist, child therapist, therapy for teens, therapy in Sacramento

Therapy FAQs

Ivy Griffin

As therapists, we are aware that it can be overwhelming and anxiety provoking trying to navigate the mental health system for your child – especially if you have never had contact with any kind of mental health support in the past. In hopes of supporting you as you start this journey, here are the answers to some frequently asked therapy questions.

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categories child therapy sacramento, parenting teens, parenting sacramento, teen depression
tags child therapist, teen therapist, therapy for teens, teen depression

On the Fence: Medication & Teens

Ivy Griffin

Perhaps you have considered medication for your teen or perhaps someone else suggested it might be worth looking into. And maybe on this subject your feelings are mixed, or you have historically been hesitant to consider the idea. I encourage you to explore and consider your resistance- where does it stem from? Was it a bad personal experience, a horror story about a friend or family member that tried, or is it a lack of knowledge on the subject?

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categories child therapy sacramento, parenting sacramento, parenting teens, teen anxiety, teen depression, teen mental health
tags teen therapist, child therapist, therapy for teens, child therapy

Teens & Grief

Ivy Griffin

We all experience grief at different points in our lives and in various layers and complexities. When a loved one dies, there’s the obvious gut-wrenching grief that can feel all-consuming. If we move away, there’s the loss of proximity to friends and the community we’ve built plus the loss of the familiar - our home, routines, places we frequent - that can all bring grief, even if it arrives in conjunction with excitement and hope for the future. We also feel grief when relationships end, whether it’s a friendship that comes to a close or a break-up of a romantic relationship, all those same waves of denial, sadness, anger, bargaining, and acceptance may come up again and again as we adjust to how life is different and what we miss about that relationship. 

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categories communicating with teens, parenting teens, teen depression, therapy for teens
tags teen therapist, child therapist, grief in childhood

Is my teen depressed?

Ivy Griffin

You realize that your teen has been spending even more time alone in their room lately. You practically have to drag them out for dinner, and you’ve given up on wishing they would just voluntarily play on their phone in the den, much less actually hang out with the family. Perhaps they’re doing distance learning, but why do they insist on always being in their room? When you ask how they are, you get a shrug and “fine” as they walk away. You notice they haven’t asked to get together with friends lately either. When you do see your kid, they always seem so low energy and tired. 

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categories communicating with teens, parenting sacramento, parenting teens, teen depression
tags child therapist, teen therapist, teen depression, parenting teens

Accurate and Inaccurate Mirrors

Ivy Griffin

Is there someone in your life who saw you and could show you the gem that you inherently hold? This is one of the basic needs we experience as human beings. It's natural and normal to want to be surrounded by people who can hold us in a safe and compassionate space. It's deeply imperative for our self development as we continually learn through observing the folks around us (i.e. our parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, etc). They show us their views and values, what's “acceptable'' or not and how they treat others and how they accept treatment. We begin to interpret this as our truths and frame our way of seeing the world.

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categories child therapy sacramento, parenting sacramento, parenting teens, teen depression, teen mental health
tags child therapist, teen therapist, teen depression, self esteem

Understanding and Addressing Self-Harm

Ivy Griffin

Self-harm is a scary and uncomfortable topic that is often kept hidden and seen as a shameful secret or as a dramatic attention seeking behavior. However, the more this issue is kept hidden and seen as shameful the longer it is able to persist and go untreated.

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categories child therapy sacramento, communicating with teens, parenting sacramento, teen depression, teen mental health, therapy for depression
tags child therapist, teen therapist, teen depression, teen mental health

Talking About Depression

Ivy Griffin

For any teen, struggling with depression can be overwhelming, and figuring out how to talk to people about it can be daunting. It’s common for anyone struggling with depression to avoid talking to their support system because they are worried about loved ones either overreacting, or being dismissive.

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categories child therapy Sacramento, communicating with teens, parenting sacramento, teen depression
tags child therapist, teen therapist, teen depression, therapy for teens

Grief and Loss: It's Not Just About Death - Part 1

Ivy Griffin

Today I want to introduce one of my favorite topics in therapy. It can often explain so much of our teen’s (and our own) experience, but we don’t always think about it in a broader context. That topic is grief and loss, and not just related to death.

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categories communicating with teens, parenting teens, teen mental health, teen depression, therapy for teens
tags child therapist, teen therapist, grief, child development

Teens, Peers, and Quarantine

Ivy Griffin

With the pandemic continuing for almost a year now, I felt it was a good time to talk about a common topic for parents struggling with teens in isolation. Adolescents often crave peer relationships, and that can be tough to manage when we are all expected to stay at home. In this article, I will discuss the benefits of increasing your teen’s time with friends, as well as some options that have worked for other families who are facing this same struggle. However, keep in mind what unique challenges your family may need to balance when deciding how to best address this important issue.

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categories therapy for teens, teen depression, teen mental health
tags child therapist, teen loneliness, teen healthy relationships, teen therapist

Is my teen depressed?

Ivy Griffin

You realize that your teen has been spending even more time alone in their room lately. You wonder if this is because of how their lives are different with the pandemic. You practically have to drag them out for dinner, and you’ve given up on wishing they would just voluntarily play on their phone in the den, much less actually hang out with the family. You know they’re spending the day doing distance learning, but why do they insist on always being in their room? When you ask how they are, you get a shrug and “fine” as they walk away. You notice they haven’t asked to get together with friends lately either. When you do see your kid, they always seem so low energy and tired.

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categories teen depression
tags child therapist, teen therapist, parenting teens, teen depression, help for teen depression