Mental Health and Healing: What Is Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Can It Help My Teen?

When troubled teens need help, professional treatment comes in many forms.

However, one type of therapy that’s often bypassed when it comes to adolescents can actually be very effective in treating both mental health issues, and substance abuse problems in teens. This treatment is Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, and when used with other types of therapy and counseling, it can help struggling adolescents dig deep into the reasons for their negative behavior and help effectuate change. 

Why is Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy?  

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a method of treatment for mental health issues that had traditionally been used mostly on adults. It is considered the Freudian “talk therapy” that delves into the unconscious to find the deeply seated issues that affect our conscious selves, and helps to identify the root of whatever mental illness is afflicting you. However, adults aren’t the only ones who can benefit from this type of therapy, because struggling teens face the same kind of emotional issues and struggles that adults do. 

Currently it has been more widely recognized that troubled teens are likely to feel things more deeply and may be even more affected by their problems due to the changes their bodies are going through – particularly with fluctuating hormones and brain development. For this reason, more and more in recent years, health care professionals are using this type of therapy as a means of treating both adolescents and younger children alike. 

How Do You Know if Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Might Benefit Your Teen? 

Mental health problems in teens generally first become evident through falling grades and troubles at school. It may be trouble with peers or behavioral problems with authority figures, but your first warnings will usually begin there. Other than school problems, there are a number of other danger signs that can warn you that your teen needs help – if it already isn’t obvious. These may include substance abuse, sleeping too much, or other sudden changes in personality or behavior, but if the signs are there, it’s best to seek help immediately before their health deteriorates further.