For parents, perhaps one of the most scary moments in life is when your child is in some kind of emotional distress.

Particularly during the teen years, always known for their turbulence, the emotional lives of your children and as a result your home can feel up for grabs. One does NOT have to suffer through this period of time alone. By contacting a Spark clinician, you can have a consultation to see if your child’s behavior is truly cause for concern or simply adolescence. If it is decided that sitting with a clinician might be helpful, we at Spark are ready to help you from managing the first visit all the way through the completion of therapy. If you have tried therapy before all to no avail, at the very least call in order to have a consultation about possible next steps. There is no need for you to lose sleep over your teen’s behavior.

“How do I know if my teen needs therapy?”

Here are SOME of the signs that your child might be going through a period of emotional turbulence that it is overwhelming his/her capacity to cope:

• significant/sudden/dramatic shift in friends
• dropping activities that they loved for years
• falling grades
• social isolation
• family arguments that are becoming increasingly out of control
• your discovering that your child is involved with alcohol and/or drugs. (Although some might argue that some experimentation is normal, it has been the experience of Spark clinicians that this in conjunction with other factors is always a cause for concern.)
• reported feeling of depression
• observed significant change in affect or usual feeling state

Your child MUST see a therapist if it comes to your attention that any of the following might be an issue:

• game playing with food that has caused a significant change in body weight
• ANY kind of self injury: self cutting, burning, scarring of any kind
• suicidal gestures or attempts
• notes about how they wish to harm themselves left either in a place you can find it or on their Facebook/MySpace accounts. (Yes, parents, you should be able to access these very public venues. The internet is NOT a private place!)
• evidence of drug dealing
• evidence of criminal activity
• police involvement

Parents! No one knows your child better than you do. If you suspect something is wrong or are unsure, call Spark of Creation Therapy for a consultation to construct an action plan or at the very least give you the tools to help you navigate these difficult years.