Why Therapy Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation
When school is out of session and teens are on summer vacation, it’s tempting for teens to opt out of attending regular therapy sessions. Your teen might be thinking that because they don’t have the stress of school, then they don’t need weekly therapy. They might also believe that getting involved in summer activities like camp or family vacations could get in the way of regularly attending sessions. Or, they could simply think, “Hey, the sun is shining, and I’m feeling pretty good right now, so I don’t even need to see my therapist!”
Here’s the truth: Mental health is a continuous form of self-care that does not take a summer vacation. While skipping a week isn’t the end of the world, regular therapy sessions–even during the summer season–are going to be a boon to your teen. Here’s why:
Consistent Therapy Works
Teens need support all throughout the year, not just when school is in session. Anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns don’t take a vacation. Participating in therapy consistency is crucial for your teen to make progress. Interruptions can prevent the therapeutic process from being successful, which can make it more difficult for your teen to sustain their improvement. Weekly therapy allows your teen a faster way to to develop long-lasting coping skills and address triggers. Additionally, when overwhelming thoughts and feelings arise and overwhelm your teen, knowing the next session is coming up soon and on a regular basis provides a sense of security.
Prevent the Slippery Slope
Reducing weekly therapy sessions for your teen to once every two weeks can easily become once every month, which can start slipping into your teen not wanting to go to therapy at all. Regular therapy helps to prevent regression into negative coping behaviors that your teen is attempting to overcome. To avoid a setback in your teen’s progress, it is important to continue regular sessions and make them a priority, regardless of the time of year.
Do the Deeper Work
Teens might feel as though they are constantly in crisis mode during the school year because of the stress and overwhelming emotions. Thankfully, things tend to calm down during summer vacation, making it the perfect time for your teen to dive deep and truly heal. Rather than using therapy to cope with crises in the moment, teens can have the opportunity to explore their feelings and learn what is causing them. This allows them to heal distress and develop skills they can use to manage any further crisis that might arise.
Connect with Other Teens
Losing contact with friends during the summer break from school might be distressing for your teen. Fortunately, group therapy is a great way for teens to connect with other young people who are going through similar things that they are. They will be learning new skills together, practicing them together, and getting guidance from a group facilitator. They also get to learn the perspectives of their peers, which they might miss out on if they don’t get to regularly connect with other teens. Pairing individual therapy with group therapy is extremely helpful for boosting your teens mental health management abilities.
Celebrate Progress
Weekly therapy sessions allow teens to not only continue their progress, but also recognize their progress. It’s far more difficult to measure how far they’ve come when therapy is less frequent. Progress is not about comparing ourselves to how we were a few weeks ago, but instead comparing ourselves to a week or two before therapy. Your teen’s therapist is tracking the milestones and the little victories your teen experiences, such as successfully using a new skill they didn’t have a couple of weeks earlier. This shows your teen that positive change is real and possible.
In summary, therapy is a crucial support system that benefits from regular, ongoing participation, regardless of the season. One of the great things about Mindful Healing is that we offer online therapy, so your teen can attend from wherever they are. Click here to sign up!
