Teen Grief and Loss Treatment

Our Teen Grief and Loss Treatment program is for teens who have experienced the loss of a loved one or another traumatic event and are suffering from extreme, debilitating grief as a result.

Grieving is a healthy, normal part of healing, but teens can get “stuck” in the grief process and experience severe mental, emotional, and physical symptoms as a result. Learn more about teen grief treatment at Paradigm below, as well as the causes, symptoms, and recommended therapies for teens who are struggling with grief and loss.

Professional Support for a Grieving Teenager

Grief and loss treatment for teens and young adults is a therapeutic approach to helping young people understand and manage the emotions they have about a significant loss in their lives. The goal is to help teens cope with the overwhelming emotions they may be feeling and to provide young individuals with strategies they can use to better process grief now and in the future.

It’s important that teens are provided with plenty of opportunities to discuss and process their feelings. Treatment for teenage grief typically involves one or more forms of talk therapy, plus grief education, support groups, and family therapy. With the right level of support, teens can move on from their trauma and live a happier life – and that often includes professional care via individual therapy and/or a residential treatment center.

Causes of Grief for Teens

There are many potential causes for grief in a young person’s life, including:

• Death of a loved one, including a family member, friend, or pet
• Loss due to unexpected death
• Loss of a relationship
• Parental divorce
• Transition from childhood to young adulthood
• Chronic illness

Grief can impact teens in many different ways. And unfortunately, it’s often impossible to prepare ahead of time, even in situations where a loss is expected. If a teen in your life is showing signs of extreme grief, such as overwhelming emotions of anger or guilt, take action and connect them with appropriate resources and support as soon as possible.

Symptoms of Grief in Teens

A grieving teenager may feel paralyzed, stuck in a cycle of sadness and intrusive thoughts that greatly interfere with their everyday routines and relationships. They may also shut down emotionally and withdraw from family and friends – a common symptom of grief that only exacerbates the pain they’re already feeling.

Teens who seek grief therapy experience a wide range of symptoms, including:

• Insomnia and other sleep disturbances
• Nightmares
• Anger
• Guilt
• Anxiety
• Indecision
• Inability to concentrate
• Depression
• Apathy
• Hopelessness
• Substance use

Teens can become stuck in a period of depressive grief and not necessarily recognize they need help – or that help is even available. But learning to process these emotions in a healthy and productive way is absolutely possible. If your child is struggling with loss, we encourage you to take action immediately and ensure that grief doesn’t rob them of important development experiences.

How To Recognize Teen Grief

As a parent or caregiver of a grieving teen, you play a key role in identifying the signs of grief and taking steps to address them. Some grief reactions we see quite frequently in teen mental health care include:

• Self-destructive and risky behaviors
• Frequent anger or sadness
• Academic struggles
• Withdrawal from family and friends
• Development of a substance use disorder

If you recognize any of these warning signs in yourself, a family member, or peers, reach out to Paradigm Treatment for professional help.

Teen Grief Treatment and Therapy Options

In our grief treatment programs for teens, we help teenagers process their loss and grief on the deepest level possible. This includes addressing any aspects of the loss or experience that have gone unaddressed or unavoided and that will keep teens stuck in this paralyzing stage.

Treatment for teen grief is centered around introspective work in both individual and group therapy sessions, with a focus on observing and recognizing the thoughts and feelings associated with grief, loss, and trauma. Our individual treatment approach allows us to consider and treat each patient individually and create a therapeutic treatment plan targeted to personal growth, healing, and long-term mental wellness.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy provides a safe space where teens can express their feelings and learn to cope with their emotions, and it’s among the best ways to help teens cope with grief. Individual therapy approaches for treating grief include Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and experiential therapies like equine-assisted therapy.

Group Therapy

Group sessions for teens provide teens with a supportive peer network that can ease feelings of loneliness, anger, and depression, as well as show teens that they are not alone in their struggles. In group sessions, teens and young adults work on grief coping skills and learn more about managing grief in their daily lives. At Paradigm, we also offer therapeutic group activities such as art therapy and hikes.

Support Groups

A grieving teenager usually benefits from support programs that build on their strengths, support their physical health, and establish new best practices for daily life. This includes teen grief summer camps and residential programs, as well as programs like:

Coping Skills for Grief and Loss

There are many different emotions teens may experience in response to loss. While many teens develop their own way of managing these emotions, it’s always a good idea to learn additional coping skills for managing grief effectively in the teen years and beyond.

• Relaxation and stress-relief techniques
• Getting proper sleep
• Regular exercise
• Meditation
• Journaling
• Creative expression
• Grief and loss therapy

Our grief treatment program provides individualized plans for teens and young adults struggling with grief and co-occurring mental health disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or substance use disorder. Treatment options include daily therapy, group sessions, and family therapy.

Our home-like residential treatment centers for teens offer a safe and serene space where teens can process their emotions and heal from loss and grief. Contact Paradigm Treatment to discuss available teen or young adult programs.

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