The teenage years come with changing emotions, new feelings, and experiences that can be overwhelming for some teens. Relationships, gender confusion, and social pressure can impact their mental health and cause self-harming or suicidal behaviors. Recognizing the signs of self-harm is critical to know if you are concerned your teen may be cutting or hurting themselves. Dialectical behavior therapy is a form of behavioral therapy that is proven to be effective in helping teens who are physically hurting themselves.
At Imagine Seattle, we work with teen boys and girls between 12 and 17 who are experiencing depression and have suicidal thoughts. Our behavioral therapists have experience working with teens and take the time to create trust and rapport to promote open and honest communication. They work with teens in group and private therapy and offer medication management to minimize the symptoms that are preventing true healing. Reach out to our friendly team today by calling 888.346.0473 to get your teen son or daughter the help they need to thrive in school and in the future.
Recognizing Signs of Self-Harm in Teens
It can be difficult to know if your teen is struggling with their mental health or if they are going through normal teenage development. Whether they are experiencing mild depression, anxiety, or other conditions, getting them into a therapy program can improve their mental health and their ability to cope with future challenges.
Teenagers who don’t know how to express their feelings can’t ask for help. Instead, they internalize them and suffer in silence. This can lead some teens to start cutting themselves, harming others, or turning to drugs and alcohol for relief.
Some of the signs of self-harm in teens include:
- Cutting, burning, scratching, or hitting themselves
- They can’t explain or go to great lengths to hide their injuries
- Fascinated with or talks a lot about death
- Wearing long sleeves and pants even during the summer
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Losing interest in things they once enjoyed
At Imagine Seattle, we support teen boys and girls who are struggling with depression and begin harming themselves or having suicidal thoughts.
Treating Self-Harm and Depression with Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an effective form of psychotherapy where therapists work with teens in private and group sessions to treat their depression and suicidal thoughts. DBT specifically addresses self-harm and depression and shows teens how to view themselves and the world around them in a positive light.
Some of the benefits of treating self-harm and depression with dialectical behavior therapy include:
- Gain a better understanding of depression and how it affects their thoughts and behaviors.
- Work with therapists in private therapy to uncover the root cause of their feelings and learn to process them instead of burying them and causing further harm.
- Therapists will develop the coping and communication skills that teens lack.
- During group therapy, teens will practice these skills with their peers in a supervised environment. Therapists will monitor their interactions and note any troubling behavior that needs addressing.
- Teens will also gain new perspectives on coping with depression by listening to how their peers cope with similar issues.
Enrolling your teen son or daughter in a DBT program today gives them the skills and confidence they need to be happy with who they are and live their best life.
Learn More About Dialectical Behavior Therapy at Imagine Seattle
At Imagine Seattle, we help teen boys and girls between 12 and 17 who are experiencing severe depression and self-harming behaviors. Our team is familiar with the signs of self-harm and will work with your teen to minimize their destructive behaviors. After assessing their condition, our team will create a tailored treatment plan built around their unique symptoms and recovery goals.
If you are concerned your teen son or daughter is harming themselves intentionally, call 888.346.0473 to speak with our knowledgeable team about the benefits of enrolling in our mental health treatment center.