Life for a teenager is typically rife with challenges. They are trying to carve out an identity while navigating peer pressure, academic pressure, puberty, hormones, and more. Experiencing grief and significant loss during this critical developmental period can have devastating effects, especially if left untreated. Teens may turn to drugs or alcohol, engage in risky behavior, withdraw, or demonstrate violent behavior as they process their grief. Teen treatment programs can provide grief and loss therapy to support your teen through this challenging time.
Imagine Spokane specializes in adolescent mental health treatment for 12–17-year-olds. We offer full-day programs through our partial hospitalization program (PHP) and intensive outpatient program (IOP). We provide substance use disorder (SUD) treatment on a case-by-case basis. If your teen is struggling with grief and loss, we can help. Reach out via our secure online form or by calling 888.384.3143.
Signs Your Teen Needs Grief Counseling
Grief counseling can help your teen deal with the overwhelming feelings of loss. Many teens will recover from their grief without long-term repercussions. However, others can develop significant emotional or behavioral problems that persist over time. Grief counseling after a substantial loss can benefit everyone but is particularly critical for teens already coping with mental health disorders.
If your teen exhibits any of the following warning signs and symptoms for more than a couple of weeks after a loss, you should consider grief counseling:
- Frequent bad dreams or nightmares about death
- Increased behavior problems
- Significant mood swings or irritability
- Lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities
- Increased social isolation or withdrawal from friends and family
- Declining school performance
- Chronic complaints of headaches, stomach aches, or other physical complaints
Sometimes teens who experienced loss in their younger years will need grief counseling now that they have a new perspective on how the loss will impact their future lives. For example, a teen who lost a parent early in life may now need to grieve that the parent will not be there for graduation, their wedding, or other significant life events.
The Benefits of a Day Treatment Program for Teen Mental Health
There are numerous benefits of day treatment for your teen’s mental health. A day treatment program offers inpatient-level care and structure with outpatient-level support, making treatment more accessible and affordable. In addition to grief counseling, day treatment provides simultaneous treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders and behavioral issues. Following is a closer look at the main benefits of a day treatment program for mental health:
- Flexibility – Day treatment allows you to fit treatment into your existing schedule so that your family can maintain routines as much as possible.
- Family therapy – Day treatment includes family counseling and support to help heal damaged relationships, open the lines of communication, and ensure that you are involved in your teen’s treatment and progress.
- Real-life practice – Day treatment allows your teen to practice the skills and techniques they are learning in therapy right away at home, school, and within the community, helping master and incorporate them into daily life.
- Peer support – Group therapy led by highly-trained therapists allows your teen to give and receive peer support to others struggling with the same challenges, reducing anxiety and feelings of isolation.
In the Imagine Spokane day treatment program, your child receives high-quality care from professional mental health providers. They receive targeted, individualized therapy through evidence-based and holistic approaches to treatment. Treatment begins with a comprehensive psychiatric assessment designed to identify your child’s challenges and strengths to develop a treatment plan best suited to their needs.
Learn More About Grief Counseling in Washington at Imagine Spokane
If your teen needs grief counseling in Washington, or if their mental health symptoms have become unmanageable, Imagine Spokane can help. A comprehensive assessment identifies your teen’s strengths and challenges and directs their treatment plan. Group therapy offers peer support critical to recovery. In addition to grief and loss therapy, treatment modalities can include any of the following:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Behavior modification
- Mindfulness and meditation
- Art, music, and pet therapy
- Interpersonal therapy
- Crisis intervention
Contact our team at 888.384.3143 to learn about grief counseling and more.