Unhelpful Thinking & Mental Health Resources

Is your girl struggling with her mental health? Is she prone to negative thinking? 

If her confidence has dipped and/or you notice more negative talk from her, it is possible that she is struggling with distorted or unhelpful thinking patterns like magical thinking or overgeneralizing. Download the full list here & definitions.

Aimee Grimm, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist, suggests the following exercises to help your tween or teen:

1) Insight -  Place the above definitions  / examples around the house and have a family dinner where you talk about them. Sometimes insight (or understanding) can naturally produce new patterns.

2) Meditation (or Mindfulness) - Learning to slow the mind down and check in. This is a tool to use when they are feeling flooded (overwhelmed with emotion in fight or flight mode). There are great apps to engage in as a family with meditation. Click here for some ideas.

3) Reality testing - Asking questions in an objective manner. It looks like: "I'm wondering if there is any evidence to dispute your conclusion?"

It's important to note that teens especially need an experience to shift not a lecture. They are experiencing all of these confusing, painful emotions. They need an experience that gives them agency.

If you are concerned about your daughter's mental health, here is a list of Mental Health Resources and where to get more information on next steps.