Month: May 2025

Is One Session Enough? Here’s How to Decide

You don’t have to commit to multiple sessions from the start. Beginning with just one session to see how it feels is a great way to begin.

Many parents often wonder if they need one session or ongoing support. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach – what works for you depends on your specific situation and goals.

This blog aims to help you determine the best option for you.

1. What Can a Single Session Help With?

A single session is ideal for addressing specific issues, such as a recent argument, a work-related concern, or seeking reassurance about a particular problem. It can help you gain clarity, feel validated, and build confidence in your next steps. This option is particularly beneficial for those who prefer short-term, solution-focused support.

2. When Ongoing Support Might Be More Helpful

• If the challenges you’re facing are recurring or long-standing rather than a one-off situation.
• When emotions (yours or those around you) feel overwhelming or hard to manage.
• If you’re stuck in unhelpful patterns, such as communication breakdowns or constant conflict.

Regular sessions allow space for reflection, trial and error, and gradual, long-lasting changes.

3. The Benefits of Ongoing Support for Parents

Parenting a tween or teen involves many ups and downs, and having a regular space to talk things through can make a significant difference. Many parents find that regular check-ins help build confidence over time rather than merely addressing one issue at a time. Many parents find that having these consistent conversations makes them feel calmer, more in control, and better prepared to support their children.

4. What If I’m Still Unsure How Many Sessions I Need?

You don’t have to commit to multiple sessions from the start. Beginning with just one session to see how it feels is a good approach. It’s perfectly fine to take it one session at a time and make decisions as you go along. The most important thing is to focus on what feels helpful and supportive for you.

Whether it’s one session or several, we’ll work together to find the pace and approach that best suits you.

Ready to get started?

Click HERE to book a short check-in call — a chance to ask questions and decide if this is the right fit for you.

We all know talking things through helps – it gives us space to process and reminds us that we’re not alone. But what happens when your teenager goes quiet? When you know they’re going through something, but getting more than two syllables feels like a win, how do you support them then?

When you see your child struggling, but they won’t or can’t let you know what is going on, how can you help? While this is not an uncommon experience for parents of teens and nearly teenagers (it’s not just you!), it is still a challenge. And how do you manage your own emotions around this? You can feel frustrated and hurt when your child seems to have gone inward and shut you out. 

Why Do Teens Go Quiet?

Whilst your child not opening up or speaking to you is upsetting for parents, it is not necessarily a sign that something has gone terribly wrong. It is part and parcel of the developmental changes of adolescence. 

• The search for independence starts early in the tween years (ages 9 to 12). It’s when you might first notice them pulling away or needing more privacy. It’s part of growing up, and it includes a need for privacy that can feel like a stark change from your happy-go-lucky primary-age kid who shared anything and everything with you. 
• Adolescents’ brains are changing, and their prefrontal cortex is developing (the part of our brains that deals with decision-making, thinking and planning). This means that emotions are often in the driver’s seat.
• Because your teenager’s brain is a work in progress, they are more prone to emotional overwhelm and less likely to have the language or confidence to express complex feelings.

What about your feelings?

How about my emotional overwhelm and complex feelings? I hear you ask.

It’s not personal (even if it feels that way)

Whilst it can feel very personal, it often isn’t. Your teen’s silence might leave you feeling rejected or shut out, but it doesn’t always mean they’re angry or don’t like you anymore. It doesn’t mean your relationship is over or that they’ll always feel this way.

Often, when your teenager goes quiet, they’re trying to make sense of what’s happening. That kind of inner work takes time and space.

I also often hear from the young people I work with that they don’t want to burden their parents. They sense the worry and want to protect you from it, so they keep quiet.

Common triggers for disconnection:

• Feeling judged or misunderstood.
• Repeating the same old arguments and high tension.
• Pressure to open up before they’re ready.

How to Encourage More Connection

• Let them know you’re available and there for them without pushing them to talk.
• Timing is everything! Pick a time when you can have a more casual conversation – in the car can work well for this, or during a walk. A direct ‘we need to talk‘ isn’t conducive to a chat.
• Listen more than you speak. Hold back, at least initially, on offering advice or solutions so there’s room for them to talk. 
• Use questions that open up the conversation. For example: ‘I’ve noticed you’ve been quiet – is everything OK?‘ Asking closed questions shuts things down: “Why are you always in a mood?”.
• Don’t underestimate the power of validating their feelings, even when you don’t fully understand them.

When to Worry (and What to Do)

Trust your instincts – they will tell you if a situation is ‘off‘ or of concern. Look out for changes or behaviours that go beyond the typical emotional wobbles associated with adolescence. For example, if you notice sudden changes in your child’s mood, withdrawal from friends or struggling to engage with school, don’t feel like you have to handle this alone; reach out for support from family, friends or your child’s school. Counselling can also be an excellent resource for parents and carers. 

It’s important to recognise that all relationships experience highs and lows, including the one you have with your child. Even when you feel like your relationship has lost its way, you can rebuild communication with your teen through patience, warmth and consistency. Though it might not look like it, even when your teen isn’t talking to you, they are still listening and noticing.

Struggling to reconnect with your tween or teen? You’re not alone, and you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself.

Even a single counselling session can help you understand what’s going on beneath the silence and give you practical tools to support your child and yourself.

If you’d like to explore how I can support you, you’re very welcome to get in touch here.