Your Child
The face of today's depressed child wears a smile
Drop the "dis" (in disease),
Help your child find ease.
The Magnitude of the Problem
Our children and adolescents face a myriad of pressures and unfortunate realities that did not exist in a pre-Columbine High School society. These pressures include:
Standardized testing
Social media
Competitive sports
Schools teach a variety of subjects (e.g., math, science, history), with the exception of Life Skills.
A framework for understanding and working with the myriad of difficult emotions (anger, sadness, anxiety) and challenging life circumstances (dating/relationships, break-ups, divorce aftermath) are overlooked by the systems with which children interface.
Modern Statistics
Adolescent suicides have quadrupled since 1950*
A newly identified at-risk group is preteens and teens from well-educated, affluent families. Despite economic and social advantages, children and teens from affluent families have the highest rates of depression, substance abuse, anxiety, somatic complaints (headaches, stomachaches), and unhappiness of any group of children in this county.
Depression, anxiety, and alcohol/substance use disorders among this population are difficult to detect since these children and teens are typically top academic performers, competitive athletes, and social or “popular” among their peers.
The Importance of Early Intervention
10-15% of those who suffer from depression eventually commit suicide
Untreated anxiety and depression in adolescence increase the likelihood of exacerbated mental health and substance use disorders in early adulthood.
Teens who cope with stress by self-medicating with alcohol and drugs are 5x more likely to develop full-blown substance use disorders in adulthood.
Kids have teachers, tutors, and coaches for a range of activities, with the exclusion of emotional resilience!
Healthy problem-solving and skills that support emotional resilience can often be learned within an initial phase of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (e.g., three to six months) at our clinic.
Treatment plans are tailored to meet the individual needs of your child. Duration and frequency of sessions are titrated or tapered based on symptom(s) intensity; the complexity of presenting issues and contextual factors; your child's age and development; and parental input/feedback.