Christian Counseling For Teens Archives | Stone Oak Christian Counseling

Helping Children Cope With Relocation Stress

Helping Children Cope With Relocation Stress

By Joanna Kucherera|December 21st, 2023|Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured|

Change is hard. We all find comfort in the familiar and the predictable. Relocation throws us into a world of the unknown which can be stressful, more so for children. However, it is noted that a lot of families need to move at least once in their lifetime. This number increases for families whose lives involve having to move constantly and can cause relocation stress. This is especially true for military families, who on average can spend no more than three years stationed at any one base. No matter the reason for moving, it should be noted that children have a hard time with it and necessary measures need to be put in place to make the transition a lot easier for them. There are many reasons why children experience relocation stress and knowing about potential fears is helpful for parents and guardians to better understand how to help. All this has a lot to do with how old a child is. If they are toddlers, the change might not cause much distress, though they too need to be monitored. If a child is above five years old, already in school systems, and has developed friendships, the move will most likely be harder. With moving comes leaving one’s school, friends, and possibly a favorite teacher. All these need to be taken into consideration. At any age, most children are also anxious about being the new kid in class, having to navigate those first few days or weeks with no friends. Being forced to say goodbye to their friends and family relations is also something that can cause great distress, especially if the move is to another state or country altogether. How to help children cope with relocation stress Relocation is not only stressful for children, but it can be [...]

Questions to Help You Introduce Counseling to Your Teen

By Amanda Lindsey|September 8th, 2023|Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured|

The idea of counseling may be new for your teen. While you may have been thinking about the benefits and researching counselors for some time, your teen may not know much about it. Instead of springing the idea on your teen, you can begin by having some natural conversations and asking him or her questions about his or her thoughts regarding counseling, mental health, and overall mental wellness. Questions to ask your teen about counseling. Sometimes teens are resistant to new ideas, especially from their parents. It can be beneficial to start slow when it comes to the idea of counseling. Instead of jumping into it or barraging him or her with questions, consider how to have natural conversations with your teen. Try to incorporate these questions and ideas for a few weeks. Question 1: Do you know anything about counseling? Begin by asking your child what they know about counseling. This does not need to be a deep, personal conversation. It can be general. Try to make this part of a natural conversation while doing something else. You can talk about something like this over dinner, in the car, or while doing chores. If you have trouble bringing it up, you can use someone in pop culture who has pursued counseling as a starting place. Remember, everyone’s ideas and perceptions about counseling are different. Teens are in a particularly unique stage of life where their ideas are still forming. How you interact with your teen can make a big difference. Question 2: Do you know any friends who go to counseling? First, it is important to be clear that you are not asking who goes to counseling. This is a general question to see if counseling is even on your teen’s radar in his or her friendships. Sometimes [...]

4 Ways Counseling for Teens Can Impact Your Entire Family

By Brooke Turbyfill|August 2nd, 2023|Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling|

When teens are struggling, seeing a counselor can help them be reflective about their thought patterns and circumstances. Counseling for teens can also give them the opportunity to talk to someone who is a trained listener and can ask skillful questions to help the teen come to their own realizations. When counseling works best for a teen, it impacts the entire family. 4 Ways Counseling for Teens Can Benefit Your Family Here are four ways that counseling for teens can have a positive influence on the family unit. 1. A family environment becomes less unpredictable. Teens who learn how to cope with emotional dysregulation are better able to recognize internal chaos, and they have the tools to respond in healthy ways. If the teenager has been lashing out in unhealthy ways due to an inability to recognize his or her emotions and manage them well, the family unit has likely been under serious stress. The more prolonged that state of stress, the more chaotic the home life becomes. When a teen develops a trusting relationship with a counselor, there are often fewer outbursts in the home, a greater degree of harmony among parents and other siblings, and a more holistic approach to healthier living in general. Even without trying, often when a teen learns new coping mechanisms, the family learns them too. 2. Sibling relationships may be restored and renewed over time. Not every teen who undergoes counseling wants to be there or thinks that he or she needs it. However, over time, many teens start to see the benefits of counseling in their relationships. Even if your teenager is going to counseling for an issue that primarily impacts just his or her life, the ripple effect of that counseling can be deep and wide. Perhaps your teenager has [...]