Sometimes teens feel like no one really gets them. They forget that adults were teenagers once too. But they’re right. We are all unique. But there are so many things that are similar between us. One of my favorite movies is called Babies. Its a documentary showcasing babies from different cultures all over the world – one is in San Francisco going to baby yoga class, another is in Mongolia crawling in between cows in a big field. Another in Nigeria and another in Tokyo. But they’re all doing the same things – learning to eat, getting frustrated with things they can’t do yet, and playing with their siblings.
Sometimes when we go through difficult emotions, we can feel so isolated. When in reality – many people have experienced similar thoughts to ours and gone through similar struggles. Often mental health professionals have gone through their own struggles with mental illness and it can be a reason they are passionate about helping others. Experienced mental health professionals have also heard many human stories and so even if they don’t quite understand what someone is going through, they may be comfortable with it because they’ve worked with someone similar.
Some teens don’t want to start or don’t like therapy because they don’t feel like the therapist or anyone gets them. One of the goals of therapy is to better understand yourself to get to a place of mental wellness, feeling comfortable with your thoughts and emotions. If a therapist can guide your child there, maybe they and the therapist and you can all get to know your child better over time.
Do you sometimes think your child feels like no one “gets it”?