Counselling for Youth
As youth and young adults, you may be at the stage in your life where you’re likely exploring your identity.
Who do I want to be? What do I want to be? Where do I want to go? What do I want to accomplish? What values are important to me? What kind of people do I want in my life? Do I agree with all of the lessons I’ve been taught by parents and teachers? What happens after we die?
You might be asking yourself a number of questions about yourself, the people around you, the world, and why things are the way they are. Some of these questions may be easy for you to answer, and some may be really difficult. In some cases, you may feel torn or conflicted between two or more ideas and not really know which way to turn. You may struggle with a variety of conflicting emotions as you learn to navigate the pressures and uncertainty of the future, and may struggle through times when you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or even depressed.
You may be exploring different areas of interest, taking more risks, and seeking clarity regarding what you would like your future to look like. You may be exploring new relationships and questioning whether or not current relationships still serve you. You may be trying to navigate the complexities of peer pressure and social media and striving to feel more confident in yourself. All while also taking on more responsibility at home, at school and at work, and learning to be more accountable. There can be a lot of pressure to do well in all of these areas at a time when you’re still learning time management skills and how to balance different aspects of your life.
At Sequoia Counselling, we can help you navigate the stressors that you’re experiencing at this time and learn the skills that you’ll need to do well and maintain healthy relationships moving forward. If you come with a desire to feel better, a desire for clarity, and/or a desire to learn new strategies and skills, we can help you develop a personalized plan to meet your goals. We will guide you in further exploring your values so that you can be clearer about what you want and who you want to be and learn to live life authentically.
Children and Youth Mental Health
In addition to the typical challenges associated with growing up, some children and youth may be experiencing or diagnosed with a mental health challenge, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some youth may find themselves engaging in risky behaviours, such as abusing drugs/alcohol, skipping school, or engaging in self-harming behaviours, and others may be experiencing suicidal ideation. If you or your child/youth are experiencing mental health challenges, you’ve come to the right place.
A Note on Children Under 12 Years of Age
Children’s brains are still developing so cognitively we can’t expect them to be able to process complicated situations and emotions at a young age. As children learn to regulate their emotions and how to cope with different situations in their lives, they require some help. So we work with children to help them develop and learn new skills, and we also provide support to parents so that you have the skills and knowledge needed to be able to support your child as they develop and grow. At Sequoia Counselling, your counsellor will do an assessment to help determine how to best support your child. Keep in mind that services for young children will often include participation by caregivers, and in some cases, direct caregiver support.