For many, the teenage years are a time of various, often conflicting experiences and feelings. Growth, exploration, discovery, awkwardness, peer pressure, academic stress, emotional turbulence, and much more can exacerbate anxiety and depression in teens, especially teen girls. Facing so much at once can make it challenging for teens to stay grounded and for parents to know how to support their teen daughters, particularly when they’re dealing with ADHD.
Our expert therapists for teens at Suffolk DBT recognize that young girls grow up receiving mixed messages about women’s roles and worth in society. The implicit and explicit sexism and misogyny often included in these messages make adolescence and teenhood more troubling for teen girls. Combined with other societal factors, these messages likely contribute to differences in teen girls’ and boys’ mental health.
At Suffolk DBT, our highly trained DBT therapists provide professional support and guidance in cases of mental and emotional challenges in teens, such as
- Anxiety
- Depression
- ADHD symptoms in teen girls
In our DBT teen counseling programs in Manhattan, teen therapy in Long Island, or online therapy for teens, we begin by teaching mindfulness. This core DBT skill provides much-needed stability and awareness of their thoughts and feelings as they’re happening in the moment.
Why Mindfulness is a Core Component of DBT
Mindfulness refers to purposefully paying judgment-free attention to the present moment. This means helping teens observe their thoughts and emotions as they arise without getting lost in them, feeling bad about them, or reacting impulsively.
It’s not just about being nonjudgmental or being calm. It’s about acceptance. Teens who learn mindfulness can step back and see their thoughts for what they are—real, yet temporary and often irrational.
In many cases of anxiety and depression in teens and ADHD in teen girls especially, teens often feel confused and misunderstood.
With practice, they’ll be able to
- Pause in the moment
- Reflect on their thoughts
- Make healthier choices
Learning mindfulness in therapy with our experienced DBT therapists and incorporating mindfulness in daily routines empowers teens to be more aware of their feelings, why they feel how they do, and what they can do to manage their feelings more effectively.
How mindfulness helps teens tackle anxiety
It’s common for teens to feel suffocating anxiety with the constant pressure to perform well academically and socially and the intense feelings of insecurity that often come with adolescence.
Mindfulness offers a way to combat anxiety by empowering teens to observe their anxious thoughts without letting them take control. Mindful teens will be able to
- Separate anxious thoughts from reality
- Prevent their small worries from spiraling into overwhelming, unmanageable panic
- Regulate emotions, especially during stressful situations
Using mindfulness to manage depression
Anxiety and depression in teens can manifest in subtle ways like
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Irritability
- A deep sense of hopelessness
Mindfulness can help teens break free from the cycle of negative thoughts that often accompany depression and contribute to the above symptoms. With a present-focused mindset, teens can stop ruminating over past failures and obsessing over anxieties about the future. They can stop trying to define their thoughts and feelings, which can be particularly important for teen girls who often internalize feelings of sadness or worthlessness stemming from societal pressures or body image issues.
Helpful hobbies that promote mindfulness
Mindful journaling can be a cathartic, healing outlet for teens dealing with depression. Writing down their thoughts and feelings without judgment can help them see their emotions more objectively.
Teens who practice mindfulness regularly will often experience and enjoy:
- Enhanced self-awareness and self-acceptance
- Decreased negative thinking and rumination
- Improved mood regulation
- Increased resilience amid setbacks
This DBT skill can help teens shift their perspective from self-criticism to self-compassion, ultimately fostering a healthier mental state.
Facilitating focus in teens with ADHD
ADHD in teen girls often goes underdiagnosed because the symptoms don’t always present as obvious hyperactivity.
Instead, ADHD in teen girls can look like:
- Inattentiveness
- Disorganization
- Emotional outbursts that lead to frustration, shame, and overwhelm
Mindfulness can offer relief by helping teens with ADHD stay grounded in the present moment and improve their focus.
The benefits of being mindful
Part of the strength of mindfulness exercises is that they specifically target the ADHD brain’s tendency to wander. For teen girls with ADHD, who may feel the pressure to ‘keep it together’ socially or academically, mindfulness can provide a safe space to slow down and tune into how they’re feeling.
Mindful deep breathing can help teens with ADHD refocus and reduce impulsivity. Likewise, mindful eating can be an effective tool for practicing focus, encouraging teens to pay full attention to the taste, texture, and sensations of their food without distractions.
More mindful teens can experience:
- Improved attention
- Reduced impulsivity and emotional reactivity
- Greater self-control and patience
- An enhanced ability to start and follow through on tasks
Cultivating care and mindfulness in therapy for teens
While teens can practice mindfulness independently, working with a therapist for teens can deepen the effectiveness of these skills. In therapy, teens can learn how to apply mindfulness to specific challenges like anxiety and depression or ADHD symptoms in teen girls. Online therapy for teens and teen therapy on Long Island or Manhattan can provide specialized support that helps teens develop a consistent mindfulness practice.
At Suffolk DBT, therapy for teens combines mindfulness with other therapeutic DBT core skills like emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. Our compassionate experts support teens in structured exercises suited to their mental and emotional needs and therapy goals and provide them with a safe space to explore their thoughts and emotions and develop a lifelong toolkit for emotional resilience and mental wellness.
Reaching out for help is a courageous step and vital part of your teen’s healing. Contact us to get started on a journey of embracing mindfulness that can lead to a more balanced, fulfilling life, empowering teens to navigate the complexities of adolescence with strength and compassion.