How Miami Teen Counseling Can Help

As a parent do you feel:

•  That your teenager is increasing your stress levels?

•  Worried about your teenager?

•  Concerned about your teenager's emotions or health?

•  Inadequate as a parent after trying to get help from people you know?

•  Helpless or that you just don’t know what to do anymore?

•  That you are losing your teenager?

•  Guilty about what’s happening with your teenager?

•  Spending hours on the internet looking for answers and explanations? 

Is your teenager:

•   Having trouble in school with grades or concentration because of attention deficit disorder?

•   Acting  and sounding depressed or anxious?

•   Spending too much time alone?

•   Having angry outbursts?

•   Having trouble making or keeping friends?

•   Experimenting with drugs and alcohol?

• Eating too little or too much?

•   Making friends with the wrong group of people?

•   Engaging in premature sexual behavior such as promiscuity or sexting?

•   Is the victim of bullying?

•   Spending too much time playing video games?

Are Mental Health Problems Common in Teenagers?

Rest assured that as a parent you are not alone and there are millions of concerned parents just like you all over the country. The truth is, adolescent mental disorders are common with over 20% of 13 to 18 year olds having either currently or at some point during their life, had a seriously debilitating mental disorder according to the National Institute of Mental Health. 

In addition, children in Florida aged 2 to 17 are more likely to  have two or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions (56.9%) than the national average (40.3%) according to the National Survey of Children's Health administered by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. 

What Can You Do And How Can Miami Teen Counseling Help?

Step Into Your Teenager's Shoes

The truth is you have more in common with your teenager than you think. As an adult, you face daily challenges such as dealing with different personalities at work, pressure to succeed and perform at the workplace, fulfilling family and social obligations, and dealing with major life changes. Failing to deal with these issues can lead to mental health issues in adults such as depression and anxiety. Teenager's face many of the same challenges you do as an adult, however, lack the life experience, know how, and mental ability to work through issues like healthy adults can.

The Bottomline

Teenagers can develop emotional or behavioral problems including depression, anxiety, and conduct disorders for variety of reasons. Although it may seem as if this all comes out of nowhere,  the good news is these are common and treatable causes of your teenager’s troubles.  Common issues include difficulty with friends or other people at school, past traumas, pressure to succeed or perform, major life changes, fear of rejection, an unstable sense of who they are, immigration or cultural issues, or family conflict, which may require family counseling. 

During this period of development teenagers and adolescents are forging a sense of their own identify while at the same time trying to cope with pressure and confusion of teenage life making everything all the more complicated, stressful, and difficult. The rapid pace of technological development, finger tip's access to information, and the importance of social media can be overwhelming for adolescents and present new modern challenges adults have difficulty relating to. For example, cyber bullying and teenage sexting has burst into the national spotlight only recently and were virtually non-existent issues less than 10 years ago. 

As a parent you do the very best you can.  However, you may be using parenting strategies that simply do not work or are unintentionally making matters worse.  You may also be discovering that what worked for you when you were a teenager just isn’t working for your teenager in today's world.  If you were born outside of the U.S. you could be frustrated by not being able to do what’s normal and effective in your country of origin.

Miami Teen Counseling offers 3 counseling services:

Through individual teen counseling therapy your teenager may benefit in these ways:

• Your teenager’s mood will brighten and stabilize 

• Your teenager’s behavior problems will be reduced or stop completely

• Your teenager will learn to express himself/herself effectively

• Your teenager will learn to recognize and accept her/his emotions

• Your teenager will develop inner strengths that last for the rest of his/her life

• Your teenager's symptoms of depression, anxiety, ADHD, or other mental health issue can be reduced or elimiated alltogether

Through parenting counseling therapy you may benefit in these ways:

• You will lessen or eliminate your worries and fears about your teenager

• You will feel asured that you are parenting in the right way

• You will feel supported in expressing your feelings as a parent

• You will move toward drastically improving your relationship with your teenager

Through parent and teen counseling therapy your family may benefit in these ways:

• Less conflict and family fighting

• More peace and tranquility in the house

• More enjoyable family experiences

• A more supportive and open family environment

To learn about how we can make this happen please view the My Approach to Counseling Page.  If you wish to contact me or request an appointment please visit the Counseling Session Page.

What makes Miguel Brown from Miami Teen Counseling a good fit for you and your teenager?

I love my work and I have a passion for helping other get through tough times.  I have a strong desire to help teenagers and their families and it is my area of specialization.  It’s why I named my practice Miami Teen Counseling.  It is incredibly rewarding to see the changes that happen in teens and their families during the counseling process.  It really is about seeing people grow in an incredibly positive way!

I have ten years of experience working with teenagers in a variety of settings.  I have been a social worker, a behavior technician, a teacher and a counselor.  These experiences have taught me to understand teenagers not just in the counseling or therapy room but in their lives.  I have always had a gift for connecting with teenagers and as the years go by my counseling and therapy skills continue to improve.

I have received an excellent education from the University of Miami, a top tier university, where I earned a 4.0 GPA and graduated with honors with a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.  At the University of Miami I also coordinated research investigating the positive effects of counseling therapy on teenagers with one of the most renowned family and adolescent counseling researchers in the United States, Dr. Daniel Santisteban. I am now a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern and working towards full licensure. 

I am also a student at the Florida Psychoanalytic Institute where I am taking post-graduate courses in psychodynamic psychotherapy, one of the most advanced counseling trainings available.  It has absolutely expanded my counseling and therapy skills.

To learn more about me visit the About Me page.

What to do next…

1. Call for a counseling therapy consultation.  You’ll immediately feel supported and know that you are doing everything you can to help your teenager grow.  We will discuss your particular concerns and talk about what can be done to help your teen.  We will also schedule your first session at the Miami Teen Counseling office.  The first session is great time to ask the any questions about the process and make sure we are the right fit for you and your teen.  The first session carries no obligation to future sessions. 
2. Visit the Blog.  It focuses on teens in Miami and is a great source of up-to-date information.  I continually add new articles that focus on key issues affecting teens such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, social issues and pressures, bullying, and any trending teen mental health topics. You can also read about the psychology of teenagers and learn useful parenting tips. You can unsubscribe at any time.  When you sign up for my blog you will get my free report: “5 Ways to Connect with Your Teen”
3. Still not sure? Read my guide on How to Find the Right Counselor for Your Teenager.

My phone number is (786) 664-7426

My email is miguelbrown@miamiteencounseling.com

By Miguel Brown