Understanding Adolescent Mental Health
Mental health is a reflection of a person’s overall psychological and emotional wellness. While everybody deals with difficult times in their lives, being a teenager comes with all kinds of additional challenges, and many mental health disorders begin to develop as the brain and body grow into adulthood. Not only are adolescents learning more about life, who they are as a person, and their place in society, but physiologically, they’re changing, while at the same time navigating emotional highs and lows, and the complex social landscape of being a teenager.
Studies have shown that around half of American teens experience some level of mental health disorder. Sometimes they’ll pick up helpful coping skills that work for them and these things pass, but when the issues start to affect their quality of life, school performance, family, and social life, it may be time to seek professional help. Many adolescents face anxiety disorders, with excessive worry or fear, and depression is also common in younger people. US teens also face mental health concerns like bipolar disorder, eating disorders, borderline personality disorder, or schizophrenia.
At Moment of Clarity, we offer specialized adolescent mental health services in Los Angeles, taking care to address the unique needs of young people in our community. We understand how difficult life as a youth can be these days, and we help our patients learn to manage their symptoms, heal underlying emotional pain, and gain a new understanding of themselves. With our support and their new mental health toolkit, our adolescent patients can feel better, and work toward meeting their wellness and life goals with confidence.
Mental Health Treatment That Works
Call 949-625-0564Overview of Adolescent Mental Health Services in Los Angeles
The following are some of the types of adolescent mental health services Los Angeles teens can take advantage of with Moment of Clarity:
Individual Therapy
The two main types of individual (one-on-one) therapy we use at Moment of Clarity are intensive therapy and psychodynamic therapy. If we recommend you join an intensive therapy program, that simply means you might benefit from having multiple sessions a week, meeting up with your therapist for deep discussions about life, problems you’re facing, and practical changes you can make to help you feel better.
Psychodynamic therapy is a type of therapy that explores the underlying reasons for the way you feel and the way you behave. Through exploring past experiences, you’ll come to understand your subconscious, and gain insight into yourself and why things are the way they are. From there, healing can begin.
Group Therapy
Group therapy is psychotherapy that happens in a group setting. Multiple people who need help with similar issues will get together with one or more therapists to talk. This type of therapy is designed to be welcoming, encouraging participation from everyone. Joining in on the discussion may show you that more people understand what you’re going through than you’d realized. Group therapy also helps with communication skills, feeling connected to others, seeing things from other peoples’ perspectives, and learning new skills from peers. You’ll gain an increased self-awareness, gain support from others, and have the opportunity to provide support. Most people who attend group therapy sessions find it to be a positive experience, and even describe it as being fun.
Family Therapy
Family therapy brings a group of people who care about one another together to overcome difficulties. The aim is to increase understanding and support between one another, and better your communication. When families are facing challenges they’re not able to overcome themselves, a therapist can guide the conversation, help individuals express themselves, and provide useful strategies that can reduce harmful behaviors while encouraging healthier means of communication. You’ll learn non-judgmental ways to talk through challenges you’re facing, understand the impacts your words and behaviors have on one another, practice active listening, and clarify each person’s beliefs, values, needs, and goals for a healthier, more positive relationship.
Mental Health Treatment That Works
Call 949-625-0564Specialized Programs for Adolescents
According to the WHO, one in 7 adolescents aged 10 to 19 will experience a mental disorder, a number that is so big that suicide has become the fourth leading cause of death in young people today. If a teen experiencing anxiety, depression, behavioral disorders, eating disorders, emotional disorders, or other issues does not get the treatment they need, they will experience deficits in adulthood, like a lack of emotional coping skills which can lead to limited opportunities and poor future relationships.
Teens living with mental health disorders are more vulnerable to issues like substance abuse, social exclusion, poor physical health, problems at school, and discrimination. The following are some of the programs we provide to adolescents requiring mental health support.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a type of therapy that can help you challenge negative thoughts and behaviors, which will affect the way you feel. It’s a type of talk therapy that can be given in a solo or group setting, and has been proven to be very effective in treating a variety of mental health conditions.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Like CBT, DBT has a focus on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, but the emphasis is on distress tolerance, mindfulness, and emotional regulation. This type of therapy can help you communicate clearly and cultivate deeper, meaningful relationships as you learn to both accept things you cannot control and make changes to better your life and improve the way you feel.
Trauma-Informed Care
Using trauma-informed care simply means that your caregivers understand that your current emotional and psychological state is due not only to the present, but also what you’ve been through in the past. Having a complete picture of your life situation can help them avoid re-traumatizing you, while delivering more supportive and compassionate care. At Moment of Clarity, we take time to get to know you as a person, get consent before providing care, and build a trusting relationship with you, so you feel comfortable and safe as you get the help you need.
The Benefits of Seeking Professional Help
Mental health issues don’t usually go away on their own. Getting professional help sooner, rather than later, will help you feel better, give you more confidence while facing challenges, and change behaviors that are holding you back from achieving your life goals. You’ll find new ways to live that make you feel good about yourself, you might heal underlying pain from your past, and you’ll be able to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with friends and romantic partners in the future. Professional mental health care can also give you:
- Coping skills and stress management techniques
- A better understanding of your mental health condition and how it may be affecting your life
- Knowledge about treatment options including therapy and medications
- A reduced risk of suicide
How to Access Adolescent Mental Health Services in Los Angeles
At Moment of Clarity, we make it easy to access adolescent mental health services. Los Angeles residents can call us 7 days a week to schedule a consultation, or if you have any questions about how it all works. We get to know each of our new patients on an individual level so we can create a customized treatment plan of evidence-based care that’ll suit your busy lifestyle. We are an outpatient facility, so you can live at home, continue to attend school, and get all the help you need from skilled, knowledgeable psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors.
Why Choose Moment of Clarity for Adolescent Mental Health Services?
Moment of Clarity has specialized adolescent mental health services Los Angeles teens can access today. We can provide the support, care, and confidence they need during this formative time, making a positive impact not only on how they feel today, but how they’ll live their lives in the future.
We understand that living as a teenager today can be stressful, emotionally draining, and confusing, and dealing with a mental health issue on top of all that can feel impossible. If you or a loved one would like to speak with a professional about creating a custom, evidence-based treatment plan, please call us at 949-997-1775. We’re taking new patients now, and we can help you feel better.
