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Teenage young women are today faced with a myriad of options in life that young women previous to the Millennials generation had not dealt with. What that means in simple terms is that these young women can get information at the touch of a button, connect with their friends in an instant on ever-growing social media apps, and can be in touch via text to their friends throughout the day. These young people easily see what their peers are doing outside of school or work.
The nature of social media is, of course, self-promotion…and unknown to them….advertising to them to become a consumer.
Whose body is better looking and sexier…with models, social media stars and celebrity bodies as the perfection standard for comparison…celebrities who can spend nearly unlimited money on hair extensions, breast augmentation, waist whittling liposuction, lip enhancement and so much more.
The bar is raised to absolute perfection unlike any time before.
There is little need to even mention how much damage on-line bullying is doing to teenagers today…oftentimes causing them and their families to move or to change schools to get away from the taunting and downright meanness.
Other pressures include sex as a very real possibility in high school, or for some, even in middle school. For many of the young women I have worked with, that has not been their choice, but they still are surrounded by close friends who are in these relationships. In fact, they are exposed to emotional and physical abuse by partners at a terribly young age, and at times feel sad or scared for a friend who is dealing with that…but who believes her value lies in having a boyfriend, no matter what is going on between them. These young women are hungry for real and deep connection, for being loved for themselves, appreciated for their uniqueness. Uniqueness however can be a curse at an age when “belonging” is portrayed as the most important aspects of life.
In therapy, I have found that these teen girls feel more stressed out, much more anxious, self-critical, depressed and confused than ever before. It is an area in which assurance of their desirability has to extend to their personality, their intelligence, their common sense, their emotional intelligence, their kindness and consideration of others, and their understanding of life is much, much needed. Providing affirmation of their uniqueness as a trait, which while perhaps not as valued now, will be a very important value for them as they grow older and peers begin to grow into the adults they will soon be. They need to know that the real goals they have are not wasted. Helping them gather tools to understand what they choose to believe in, what safety boundaries they will set around themselves, how to better organize themselves in work or their study load, how to view their relationships with their parents, even while parents may be going to a tough time such as divorce, addiction. They need to learn how to not own what is not their burdens to carry.
They need to learn negotiation skills that use adult skills as they learn to let go of less effective methods of communication. They need to know that someone is in their corner and finds them amazing, unique and valuable human beings. Someone to walk alongside them who expects nothing but to listen, to carefully make suggestions, to share some experiences they, or another of their nameless clients had and how it turned out for them.
I value being that person for young women. I find them delightful, amazingly intelligent and observant, and deserving of the right kind of attention. I have enjoyed walking alongside some of these young women from the time they are 14 or 16 and then all the way through college. Sometimes they will come back for a couple of “check-ins” once they have embarked upon their adult life. While life may not be perfect, they have gained some tools throughout their teen years that they can now employ to their benefit as they grow into adulthood. Young women are welcome here.
Fourth Dimension Counseling and Coaching offers decades of experience working with Young Women helping them navigate the many challenges of growing up in today’s world. We offer a safe place to learn and grow whether in one of our offices located in Issaquah or Tacoma or through our secure online telehealth counseling and therapy options. We work with women and men of all ages that are dealing with difficult or traumatic life situations.
We have experienced licensed therapists, counselors and certified coaches on staff that know how to help you or your loved one with the following situations.
We work with young women that are dealing with trauma, PTSD, Bi-Polar, Anxiety, Depression, Substance Abuse, Sex Addiction, Self Worth Issues, Drug Addiction, Alcoholism, Partner Abuse, Relationship Issues and Emotional Challenges with life. Give Fourth Dimension Counseling and Coaching a call if we can be of assistance. 425-652-1690
Fourth Dimension Counseling & Coaches has offices in Issaquah and Tacoma. The majority of our counseling and coaching services are being provided online. We are licensed therapists serving the states of Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, California, New York, Florida, and Hawaii. We are experienced at providing quality, effective counseling, therapy and coaching solutions via remote video conferencing for individual, group and couple counseling and coaching.
At Fourth Dimension Counseling and Coaching with offices in Issaquah and Tacoma Washington, we have extensive experience with sexual and pornography addiction treatment, as well as counseling for betrayed partners and impacted family members. We work with men and women in individual, couples, and group therapy settings in Seattle, Alaska, and Hawaii as well as throughout King County, Western Washington, Puget Sound Region, and the Northwest including, Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Mercer Island, Woodinville, Bothell, Sammamish, Issaquah, Renton, Maple Valley, Kent, Tacoma, Everett, Lynnwood, Gig Harbor, Olympia and Covington. View all of our counseling, coaching and therapy service areas.
