Child & adolescent counselling
Adolescence involves real changes in mood, sleep and independence. The question parents usually need answered is where ordinary growing up ends and something needing attention begins.
What tends to warrant attention
- A change that persists for weeks rather than days
- Withdrawal from friends and activities they previously cared about
- A marked drop in school performance, or refusing to go at all
- Sleeping or eating very differently
- Anger or tearfulness that seems out of proportion
- Any mention of self-harm or of not wanting to be here — always take this seriously
What tends to help
- Listening longer than feels comfortable. Most young people stop talking at the point advice starts. The silence after a question is often where the real answer lives.
- Asking directly. Asking a young person whether they have thought about hurting themselves does not plant the idea. It usually brings relief that someone noticed.
- Side-by-side conversations. Car journeys and walks work better than a face-to-face talk that has been announced in advance.
- Keeping the routine. Sleep, meals and school structure matter more at this age than most other interventions.
- Not requiring a diagnosis. A young person does not need a label to deserve support.
When to seek support
If a change has lasted several weeks, or your instinct says something is wrong, that is enough reason to seek help. Parents are often right well before they can explain why.
How I can help
Adolescent psychology is one of my main areas, and my background includes years of teaching young children and working with schools and families around children with disability. If your teenager is reluctant to come — which is very common — it often works well for parents to have a session first, on their own.
If you need urgent help Counselling is not an emergency service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please contact your local emergency services, or call Tele-MANAS, the Government of India mental health helpline, on 14416 (available 24 hours).