Teens Can Be Difficult.

Well, there’s a revelation! Moms and dads the world over know the above to be the truest of statements. If you have one or more underage teens in your household, there’s a chance that you consider them rebellious. New York/New Jersey psychologist Dr. Steven Sussman is an “oasis” for helping you with your kids.

Do any of these apply to you when getting your kids to consent to counseling?

1. Have you admitted to your youngster that this is a “family” problem?

2. Let them know that therapy for teens is not the same as therapy for adults.

3. Going to therapy yourself.

4. Introducing your teenager to a family counselor in the tri-state area.

Dr. Steven Sussman of Mountainside, New Jersey has designed “special” programs for teen therapy. Ask him…go ahead. He is just a no obligation phone call away at this phone number (908) 217-8106. In minutes, Dr. Steve will help you understand his process. Want to know more before you call? Then just visit sussmankids.com.

I am Fourteen…Leave me Alone!

If you have a kid (or kids) and you have never heard something like that it probably means your children have yet to reach the age of 14.  Look back on your own life.  Did you think that once you were a teenager that you were suddenly smarter than your parents?  It is really hard to get teenagers to accept the help of a therapist.

Here are some ways to navigate these “choppy waters” –

1.  Start by going to counseling yourself.

2.  Make it a family issue.

3.  Give your teen ownership of the process.

4.  Negotiate with your teenager for a mutually beneficial experience.

Encouraging your teenager to attend therapy can be really challenging!  Let me help you with that challenge.  I am New York/New Jersey child psychologist Dr. Steven Sussman.  Your teenager is NOT too old for kid’s counseling.  I think you will like my techniques that I have honed over decades.  Call me, Dr. Steven Sussman at (908) 217-8106.

Fifteen Million…That’s a Lot!

It sure is…unless the subject is the national debt.  Did you know that The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 5 American children ages 3 through 17, that’s about 15 million by the way, have a diagnosable mental, emotional or behavioral disorder in any given year.

That may not be the most disturbing statistic.  This one may be…Eighty percent of them (that’s about 12 million) don’t receive treatment!  Nearly all of the recent research indicates that serious depression is getting much worse in teens, especially among girls.  I will lay one more statistic at your feet…suicide rates among adolescent females have reached a forty year high.

All of these stats are not given to make you panic.  I provide them to hopefully motivate you to seek the help that you may need in raising your child to maturity.  Don’t pull the covers over your head!  Let’s tackle any and all mental health problems in your child immediately.  Please contact me, Dr. Steven Sussman, at (908) 217-8106 and we’ll talk at my Mountainside, NJ office.

Putting your Mouth Where your Reputation is.

Many times, we hear about someone’s reputation, but we are not sure if we can fully trust that individual.  Of course, there is Yelp (people’s opinions, be they paid for or not).  Naturally, there is word-of-mouth, but you enter at your own risk when you rely solely on that.  Choosing the right child psychologist can be very difficult.

We invite you to visit the following link… https://www.sussmankids.com/videos.html.  Go ahead, click on that.  Contained within this marvelous site are various videos dedicated to opposition defiant disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, adolescent depression screening, and much, much more.

If you watch all of the videos on this website extension, it’s like getting a mini-education on something that may be troubling your kid(s).  The old song is…show your work.  New Jersey child psychologist Dr. Steven Sussman wants you to be as educated as possible before you visit him at his office located at 615 Sherwood Pkwy. in Mountainside NJ.  Call (908) 217-8106.

Socializing in the Real World.

Let’s face it we humans are social animals.  Much of our behavior is affected by what other people are doing.  You are more likely to exercise if you hang out with other people who exercise.  You are more likely to smoke if you spend time with other people who light up.  You are more likely to succeed in school if your friends are also doing well in school.

Have you ever heard of the term “goal contagion”?  Quite simply, it is the automatic adoption of one or more goals when one observes and experiences another’s goal-focused behavior.  Goal contagion is more likely to occur in our kids when they are in groups with other children.  It makes sense…doesn’t it?

Child psychology is NOT an exact science.  It is ever evolving.  One thing that I have found to be true through the decades is that group therapy is a plus for each individual in the room.  My name is Dr. Steven Sussman a New Jersey child psychologist located in Mountainside.  Let’s talk about what’s best for your child.  Please call me at (908) 217-8106.

I’m Not in a Good Mood.

We all have said or thought that from time to time.  In adults it could mean something entirely different than when an adolescent says it.  This is a category of possible mental health problems that includes all types of depression and bipolar disorder.  Mood disorders are sometimes called affective disorders.

Here are some of the more common that I have witnessed…

1.  Major, sustained depression

2.  Bipolar signs

3.  Something called disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

4.  Mood disorder due to the taking of medications

In this day and age, the bar moves from time to time and we all need to be aware of that.  When dealing with mood disorders in adolescents one size DOES NOT fit all.  Let’s talk about your kid(s).  I am New Jersey child psychologist Dr. Steven Sussman.  My office is at 615 Sherwood Pkwy in Mountainside.  Please call me for an appointment at (908) 217-8106.

How Do You Get Your Teenagers to Go to Therapy?

I’ve got a better question…how do you get your teenagers to do ANYTHING?  Here are some typical complaints by parents.  “My son thinks I am the crazy one who needs to go to counseling instead.”  “My daughter does not want to sit in front of a stranger and tell them all about her personal problems.”

Here are some ways to encourage your teen –

1.  Introduce your teenager to a counselor BEFORE major problems arise.

2.  Promise that you will go into therapy with them.

3.  Empower your teen to take ownership of the sessions.

4.  Negotiate.  We will postpone therapy if I see a marked progress in your behavior.

If all else fails…take control!  That IS your job after all.  Call me for a consultation.  I am a New Jersey child psychologist who has dealt with the challenges of teenagers for decades.  I have even developed a special teen-friendly technique.  My name is Dr. Steven Sussman.  Call me today to meet in my Mountainside, New Jersey office at (908) 217-8106.