Adolescent (14yrs-17yrs)

The middle years of adolescence can be a rough time. As we move away from our parents and demand independence we face a whole lot of new challenges. Peer relationships become our central focus and our social functioning can either make or break us. Learning to navigate this space and deal with your own headspace doesn’t always go smoothly.

For more specific information on the different areas of youth mental health that we work with; check out the individual headings in this page. If you’re unsure if you should be concerned or not, our parent guides, are designed help you think it through.

But if your young one is showing signs of not coping, we’re here to help. Feel free to check out our team page to decide which psychologist sounds like a perfect match, or reach out and we can decide for you.

 
 

  • Whilst some level of moodiness is expected as teenagers grow, when it becomes persistent (so not just in relation to a crisis) it’s usually an indicator somethings not quite right.

    In this age group, mood and anxiety problems often look like extreme stress, teariness, irritability, anger, explosiveness or dramatic and/or exaggerated responses to issues. Parents often describes themselves as “walking on eggshells.” Sometimes (but not always) this can be accompanied by behavioural markers like self harm, suicidality, restrictive eating, school refusal, drug use, or peer conflict.

    This area covers labels such as emotion dysregulation, depression and anxiety.

  • During our middle teenage years we become highly focused on ourselves in comparison to others and often physical appearance is the easiest place to start evaluating. Unfortunately this doesn’t always go well and we can end up with very nasty thoughts about our bodies and our self worth.

    Some warning signs for struggles in this area include negative self talk, sudden changes in diet or exercise, fixation on weight/shape, or changes in food behaviours (wanting to cook their own dinners).

    This area covers a huge range of presentations including low self esteem, through to formal diagnosis such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, or ARFID.

    For more information relating to this area see our blog or our Eating Disorders page.

  • Any high school teacher will tell you that managing year nine is often the hardest. This is because between 15-17yrs, there’s rapid brain and body development BUT emotional and social skills lag behind. Hence, the drama.

    Whilst some young people can coast through, others can get caught in the middle, struggling to manage conflict, communicate effectively, and maintain consistent friendships.

  • “Acting out” in this age often looks like testing the limits and risk taking. Some of this is normal teenage development, but persistent defiance/disregard for authority or dangerous behaviours are a different issue.

    This area covers things like repeated suspensions, school refusal, fights, lying, drug misuse, not following household rules. Can sometimes be an indicator of underlying issues like ADHD, learning problems, poor social skills, or mood issues.

    For help managing in this area also check out this article written by our principal psychologist.

  • In our middle teenage years we start to understand big concepts - like intent, consequence and choice. This means that during this age, processing hard things like abuse, loss, grief and trauma can be very difficult. It’s normally our first experience of the world as unjust or unfair and it can be difficult to understand.

    This area covers things like coping with divorce, family conflict, loss of loved ones, chronic illness, or abuse and assault.