Anonymous wrote:I agree with the statement. All adolescents can use an adult who will guide them in a non-threatening manner through the tough times of adolescence. That person can be a a "counselor"/Therapist, Clergy, coach, scout leader, or even parents.

I think the kids that ket in the most problems are ones that either don't have the appropriate guidance.

So why would a therapist be appropriate guidance?

I don't know about all kids, but mine? Absolutely!

This might be one of those issues where everyone has a point. We need to take the shame out of therapy, for parents and children and everyone. It can be lifesaving and even if a situation isn't so dire, it can end suffering. There is no reason for people to suffer when there's help. Teens, especially, can benefit from learning tools to help. You really can rewire the brain by getting in there early and studies have shown that mental illness at a young age rewires the brain in bad ways.

However, I know that we have a genetic predisposition in my family toward depression so with my kids there was a very apparent need. I wouldn't go so far as to say all kids need it. Certainly forcing therapy on a kid will turn them off, so they will be reluctant to use it in the future if the need is there.

As for so many bad therapists out there . . . sigh, we learned that the hard way. I don't know why, but its true. However, the good ones can be transformative. We've seen that too.

And as for the 1%, that is true too but it shouldn't. One of the benefits of Obamacare is coverage for mental health care. Working class and poor people acquire mental illness at the same rate as everyone else. Just because they can't afford treatment doesn't mean they don't need it.

Disagree. But I think many upper middle class and one percenters would agree with OP's statement.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good therapists are rare, I would be worried about potential harm from poor therapy.

Like what?

There are many possibilities. Don't want to describe personal experience, but you can familiarize yourself with cases of therapists helping clients to "recover" repressed memories of sexual abuse. The memories were in fact, false, but the damage was done, families were ruined.

My teens would no more talk to a perfect stranger about personal topics than the man in the moon. And neither would I for that matter!

Anonymous wrote:Good therapists are rare, I would be worried about potential harm from poor therapy.

Like what?

Good therapists are rare, I would be worried about potential harm from poor therapy.