Recognizing The Need for Professional Help

The prospect for seeking professional help from a family counselor, a psychologist, or psychiatrist can be a painful one. But your teen or your family may need professional help in the following instances:

• One, if you’re caught up in hurtful patterns of behavior that create and perpetuate tension within the family.
• Two, if your teen shows signs of depression for a prolonged time (more than two or three weeks).
• Three, if your teen is engaged in substance abuse or is talking about suicide. Professional help is a necessity in these instances.
• Fourth, if your ability to help is limited by your own anger, fear, or frustration. You want to help, but you’re not sure how to help at this point.
• Five, if your family is being seriously disrupted by the teenager.
• Six, if school officials or your physician have suggested counseling.
• Seven, if you think your child needs professional help, or feel that your entire family could work toward the solution of an ongoing problem with some outside help.

An expert in the field of adolescent behavior, Ms. McCoy has authored eleven books on the subject including the best selling “The Teenage Body Book”. Additionally she has written hundreds of articles for major national magazines. Coordinator of the Clinical Ph.D. Program at California School of Professional Psychology and Staff Counselor at the Center for Individual and Family Counseling in North Hollywood, California.