I Don’t Want To Go Therapy!
“I don’t want to go! I’m not a psychopath! I don’t need therapy. Besides, I don’t like telling people my problems. I don’t like talking to strangers. They don’t care about me. Why should I tell them what’s going on with me. They’ll just tell my parents everything anyway.”
It’s a rare teen that skips to therapy. Some teens do have enough insight to know there is a problem and something needs to change; more importantly that they cannot make that change by themselves or with their parents. This alone is huge! They are to be congratulated for their “mature thinking.”
If you’re fortunate enough to get your teen to therapy when they have shown some initial resistance, it is important not to inadvertently influence their decision to keep going in a negative way. There are many things that go into their desire to keep going so it isn’t your fault if they change their minds, but there are some things to avoid that can help things along.
1. Mums the word
Try not to share the information with too many people. Be especially careful with people your teen also knows. You can ask them if they’re okay with a list of people that you come up with together. This will also let them feel involved in the process.
2. Change
Change is good and especially if your teen doesn’t hit it off with their first therapist don’t be afraid to change to another one. The connection between a therapist and their client is so very important and you should never be shy about advocating for your teen even if it means that you have to do another interview with a new therapist.
3. Confidentiality
As a parent you can feel like you are owed the information because you are paying for the visit or still the “parent” of the patient, but if you will consider for a moment. You are presenting to the therapist for help. You need another person’s insight into the situation so that things can get better. If all it were to take was your teen being able to share something with someone else without the repercussions of your judgment, wouldn’t that be a small price to pay? Once your teen has processed it with the therapist chances are your teen will tell you. Why not let them go at their pace? Confidentiality has helped so many teens when used correctly. Why not let it help yours?
Therapy or the opportunity to delve into your teen’s problems with someone else, hopefully an objective third party is an opportunity that more often than not cannot afford to be missed. Depression, traumatic events and serious family conflict are only a few of the problems that therapy helps. Why not sell it to your teen by abiding by some of the basic understandings listed here. The opportunity to change your teen’s life is waiting with good therapy. Why not let them experience it on whichever terms make them feel comfortable.
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