Peer Relational Difficulties In Woodland Hills, CA
Good peer relationships offer children and adolescents important opportunities for support, friendship, and social development. Difficulty with friendships, on the other hand, can have serious consequences. Common problems involve obsessive-compulsive tendencies, social anxiety, poor social skills, peer pressure, social exclusion, and bullying.
Excessive use of social media on their smartphones often leads to kids staying up too late at night, obsessing about their physical appearance, and developing negative self-perceptions. Indeed, social media use can have extremely harmful mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, eating disorder, loneliness, self-injury, and suicide.
DOES YOUR CHILD…?
- Spend too much time by herself
- Have a hard time making or keeping friends
- Spend too much time alone in his room playing video games
- Fight all the time
- Receive on her cellphone links to graphic Internet sites on how to lose weight
- Hang around with the “wrong crowd”
- Have a hard time standing up for himself
- Get picked on, teased, harassed, bullied, cyber-bullied
- Stay up late at night on social media sites, in particular, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat
- Obsess about her weight and how she looks in the mirror
- Find sexual identity and issues of dating confusing and troubling
- Feel pressured to follow other kids’ behaviors
- Get excluded from playdates or other activities with peers
- Receive violent and threatening messages on Facebook that are hateful and racist
HOW CAN I HELP?
The goal of therapy is for youngsters to develop good social skills, make and maintain healthy relationships, and learn how to cope with typical — but sometimes uncomfortable — social situations. An important part of my work involves helping your child understand benefits as well as risks in relationships. In addition to individual child psychotherapy sessions, I provide guidance and support to parents as needed.
One particular focus of my work is helping youngsters who are isolated and have difficulty making friends. Lots of kids had an especially hard time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the pandemic is officially over, some kids still suffer tremendously--with loneliness, decreased social skills, loss of self-confidence, depression, anxiety, and excessive use of social media. It's very important for families to address any--and all--ongoing concerns about their children.