The Nexus Teen Academy editorial and clinical team is dedicated to providing informative and accurate content to help families who are struggling with adolescent behavioral health problems. The editorial team works directly with the clinical team to ensure information is accurate and up-to-date.
To do this, our team uses the following editorial guidelines:
We generally only cite government and peer-reviewed studies
Scientific claims and data are backed by qualified sources
Content is updated to ensure we are citing the most up-to-date data and information
Clinically reviewed by Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC
Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC
Hannah graduated from Arizona State University with her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona. She began her work as a therapist 12 years ago in South Phoenix with an intensive outpatient program for teens and their families. She joined Nexus in the residential program as the clinical director, eventually being promoted to the executive director, creating and building the clinical program structure and a strong culture focused on redirecting the trajectory of young lives.
The Nexus Teen Academy Editorial Staff is composed of writers, editors, and clinical reviewers with many years of experience writing about mental health and behavioral health treatment. Our team utilizes peer-reviewed, clinical studies from sources like SAMHSA to ensure we provide the most accurate and current information.
A troubled teen may exhibit emotional, behavioral, or mental struggles. They may engage in risky behaviors, such as substance use, self-harm, violence, sex, or skipping school. Data shows that about 1 in 3 teen girls considered attempting suicide in 2021, consistent with troubled teen behavior. When these problems arise, you may be wondering how to get help for your troubled teen.
Help for troubled teens is available in many forms, including residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, counseling programs, and support groups. If you are looking for immediate help, contact our team at Nexus Teen Academy for professional guidance on choosing the right program for your teen.
Help Available for Troubled Teens
There are various ways to help a troubled teen improve their behavior and relationships and set them up for long-term success. You don’t need to wait for a diagnosis of an underlying mental health issue before taking these steps. Here’s where you can start:
Therapy and Counseling Programs
The following troubled teen programs can address different issues that influence teenage behavior:
Individual Counseling
One of the effective teen therapy options is teen cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). It helps adolescents find and replace unhealthy thinking and behavioral patterns. Teen dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) can also help restore a teenager’s effective functioning. It provides tools to cope with behavioral and emotional issues.
Family Therapy
Family therapy creates a safe, non-judgmental space for teenagers to discuss family conflicts or issues with the assistance of a mental health professional. Addressing underlying issues rebuilds trust, and family members work together to identify solutions and understand the impact of their actions. It also promotes open communication, which improves relationships and allows family members to get a better understanding of one another.
Group Therapy
Negative peer pressure contributes to troubled teenage behavior. In teen group therapy sessions, adolescents meet with peers struggling with similar issues. They realize they’re in the company of peers who understand their struggles and encourage each other to overcome challenges.
Residential Treatment Centers
Every teen’s experiences and struggles are unique. The best teen residential treatment centers will offer intensive, tailored therapy specific to their situation. These safe and structured environments create a sense of security and enable teenagers to focus on their recovery. Some programs also prevent the interruption of education by providing academic support throughout the treatment process.
Therapeutic Boarding Schools
Therapeutic boarding schools combine education with personalized treatment for teenagers. This system ensures adolescents receive the following:
Academic and intellectual development
Behavioral, emotional, mental, physical, social, and familial support
Community and Online Support Groups
Community-based support groups create opportunities for adolescents to interact with their peers. Teens may acquire new skills to enhance their well-being. Studies suggest that community interventions can reduce risky teen sexual behaviors and substance use.
Online therapy platforms can benefit teens who resist traditional therapy, as online therapy can be less intimidating than traditional therapy. Also, it’s flexible, enabling teenagers to meet therapists around their schedules.
How to Know Your Teen Needs Help
Common Troubled Teen Behavior
Watch out for the following:
Sudden withdrawal from their peers or loved ones, and spending too much time alone
Frequent and intense angry outbursts, usually disproportionate to the situation
Significant academic changes, like frequent absenteeism, a sudden drop in grades, or a lack of interest in school
Habitual substance use, accompanied by problems at home or school
Emotional Signs
The following emotional signs may indicate adolescent crises:
Immense, persistent sadness or irritability that disrupts daily functioning
Frequent, extreme thoughts or feelings of despair accompanied by irritability or sadness
Frequent, excessive edginess or pervasive worry
Behavioral Signs
Troubled teenagers may skip school due to underlying mental or emotional issues, including:
Untreated mental health issues may result in runaway behavior. Teens may think that escaping their current environment will free them from their mental struggles.
Psychological Warnings Signs
Troubled teenagers may engage in deliberate self-harm by burning or cutting themselves. They may also express thoughts or ideas of suicide. If your teen shows these or more worrying signs, talk to our team at Nexus Teen Academy for professional help.
Normal Teen Moodiness vs. Serious Warning Signs
Typical teen moodiness usually subsides, but severe warning signs of troubled teen behavior are persistent and may interfere with daily functioning.
Why Early Intervention for Troubled Teens Saves Lives
Early intervention for teens is crucial to address emotional, mental, and behavioral issues. Delays can cause the following:
Increased risk of self-harm
Worsening of symptoms
Resistance to treatment
A long-term consequence of delaying getting help for struggling teens is chronic mental health issues. Left untreated, conditions like anxiety and depression can escalate into lifelong mental health struggles. Untreated emotional, behavioral, and mental problems can also increase the risk of committing a crime. Research shows that these conditions can cause troubled behaviors like violence if a person experiences the following:
Parenting troubled teenagers may not be easy. Their emotional and behavioral responses may often be unpredictable or intense. Open and non-judgmental communication can promote understanding and encourage adolescents to open up. Here are helpful techniques:
Use active listening.
Validate your teen’s feelings.
Respect your teenager’s need for autonomy.
Create a safe and supportive environment.
Show faith in your teenager’s judgment.
Take your teen’s opinions and feelings seriously.
Respect your teenager’s preference for communication.
Express unconditional love for your teen while maintaining clear boundaries.
You can further help your troubled teen by becoming a reliable emotional anchor. Here are helpful tips:
Increase your emotional intelligence.
Understand your teenager’s emotional needs.
Develop an emotional connection with your teen.
Offer them hope.
Maintain a steady physical and emotional presence.
Teenagers can develop good or unhealthy emotional management based on what they observe. Here’s how you can model emotional regulation:
Engage in physical activity.
Practice mindfulness and positive affirmations.
Recognize, accept, and label your emotions.
Embrace your mistakes and mention what you learned from them.
Talk through your problem-solving process.
Choosing the Right Program for Your Troubled Teen
Every adolescent’s needs are individual and specific. Consider your teenager’s unique needs when looking at the best programs for troubled teens. Here’s a checklist:
Accreditation: Guarantees that the program meets various requirements of care. You can rest assured that its approaches follow best practices.
Specialty: Some programs specialize in counseling, while others combine therapy with pharmacological interventions. Depending on your teen’s unique struggles, a program’s specialty will be effective for them.
Therapy Approach: Various approaches address different emotional, behavioral, and mental issues. Choose a program whose therapeutic techniques address your teen’s specific challenges.
Location: Programs near a teen’s home can have positive outcomes. A study found that family involvement in treatment can reduceadolescent troubled behavior.
One of the most effective ways to choose a teen therapy program is to involve your teen in decision-making. Doing so increases the chances of their engagement in treatment and makes them feel empowered and more likely to commit to treatment, which can result in positive treatment outcomes. But depending on the severity of their emotional, behavioral, or mental issues, it may not be possible to involve your teen.
Getting Help for Troubled Teens at Nexus Teen Academy
Addressing troubled teen behavior early on helps restore a teenager’s normal functioning. It reduces adverse risks like self-harm and increases the chances of positive treatment outcomes. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness but an indicator of strong parenting. One of the best ways to express your love to your son or daughter is to find them the help they need.
At Nexus Teen Academy, we offer trusted support and treatment tailored to your teen’s unique needs. We have specialized experience in teen mental health treatment using evidence-based approaches. We’re committed to helping your teenager thrive emotionally, mentally, and socially. Reach out to Nexus Teen Academy today for guidance on troubled teen behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I convince my teen they need help?
You can convince your teen they need help by doing the following:
Share your observations and follow along with open-ended questions. Talk to your son or daughter about worrisome behavioral changes you have noticed. Open-ended questions encourage thoughtful responses, helping start a conversation.
Use a rating scale. Adolescents may struggle to express their overwhelming feelings fully. Ask questions like, “On a scale of one to 10, how would you rate your mental health right now? One indicates that even getting out of bed feels difficult. 10 indicates that your mental health is very good.”
Share your positive thoughts on counseling and why it could help them. Make subtle suggestions to try it. Ask for your teenager’s opinions and listen nonjudgmentally. Use statements like, “I think it would be helpful if you had someone to talk to besides me. What do you think?”
Share websites and helplines where they can learn more about mental health. Finding out the facts themselves can help them realize they may have a problem.
What are the risks of residential treatment?
Some of the risks of residential treatment include:
Insufficiency: Often, the care provided in residential treatment isn’t enough. Follow-up programs like outpatient treatment may be necessary for some teenagers.
Family Separation: Treatment centers located far from home can limit family visits. Reduced parental involvement can lower a teen’s engagement in treatment.
Academic Disruption: Some treatment centers don’t provide educational support. After discharge, teenagers may struggle to catch up.
Can mental health issues be completely cured in teens?
Teen mental health treatment usually aims for recovery, remission, or ongoing management. Adolescent mental health issues can be treated and managed. Early intervention increases the chances of positive treatment outcomes.
What if I can’t afford therapy for my teen?
Here’s what you can do if you can’t afford therapy for your teen:
Check with your insurance. Insurance providers cover teen mental health treatment, including psychotherapy and counseling.
Request shorter sessions, discounts, or sliding scale options.
Try community mental health centers.
Check if your therapist offers online sessions or consider other online therapy services.
Try group therapy.
Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC and nexus_admin
How to Get Help for Troubled Teens
FACT CHECKED
The Nexus Teen Academy editorial and clinical team is dedicated to providing informative and accurate content to help families who are struggling with adolescent behavioral health problems. The editorial team works directly with the clinical team to ensure information is accurate and up-to-date.
To do this, our team uses the following editorial guidelines:
Clinically reviewed by Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC
Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC
Hannah graduated from Arizona State University with her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona. She began her work as a therapist 12 years ago in South Phoenix with an intensive outpatient program for teens and their families. She joined Nexus in the residential program as the clinical director, eventually being promoted to the executive director, creating and building the clinical program structure and a strong culture focused on redirecting the trajectory of young lives.
Published By Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy
The Nexus Teen Academy Editorial Staff is composed of writers, editors, and clinical reviewers with many years of experience writing about mental health and behavioral health treatment. Our team utilizes peer-reviewed, clinical studies from sources like SAMHSA to ensure we provide the most accurate and current information.
Published On July 6, 2025
Table of Contents
A troubled teen may exhibit emotional, behavioral, or mental struggles. They may engage in risky behaviors, such as substance use, self-harm, violence, sex, or skipping school. Data shows that about 1 in 3 teen girls considered attempting suicide in 2021, consistent with troubled teen behavior. When these problems arise, you may be wondering how to get help for your troubled teen.
Help for troubled teens is available in many forms, including residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, counseling programs, and support groups. If you are looking for immediate help, contact our team at Nexus Teen Academy for professional guidance on choosing the right program for your teen.
Help Available for Troubled Teens
There are various ways to help a troubled teen improve their behavior and relationships and set them up for long-term success. You don’t need to wait for a diagnosis of an underlying mental health issue before taking these steps. Here’s where you can start:
Therapy and Counseling Programs
The following troubled teen programs can address different issues that influence teenage behavior:
Individual Counseling
One of the effective teen therapy options is teen cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). It helps adolescents find and replace unhealthy thinking and behavioral patterns. Teen dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) can also help restore a teenager’s effective functioning. It provides tools to cope with behavioral and emotional issues.
Family Therapy
Family therapy creates a safe, non-judgmental space for teenagers to discuss family conflicts or issues with the assistance of a mental health professional. Addressing underlying issues rebuilds trust, and family members work together to identify solutions and understand the impact of their actions. It also promotes open communication, which improves relationships and allows family members to get a better understanding of one another.
Group Therapy
Negative peer pressure contributes to troubled teenage behavior. In teen group therapy sessions, adolescents meet with peers struggling with similar issues. They realize they’re in the company of peers who understand their struggles and encourage each other to overcome challenges.
Residential Treatment Centers
Every teen’s experiences and struggles are unique. The best teen residential treatment centers will offer intensive, tailored therapy specific to their situation. These safe and structured environments create a sense of security and enable teenagers to focus on their recovery. Some programs also prevent the interruption of education by providing academic support throughout the treatment process.
Therapeutic Boarding Schools
Therapeutic boarding schools combine education with personalized treatment for teenagers. This system ensures adolescents receive the following:
Community and Online Support Groups
Community-based support groups create opportunities for adolescents to interact with their peers. Teens may acquire new skills to enhance their well-being. Studies suggest that community interventions can reduce risky teen sexual behaviors and substance use.
Online therapy platforms can benefit teens who resist traditional therapy, as online therapy can be less intimidating than traditional therapy. Also, it’s flexible, enabling teenagers to meet therapists around their schedules.
How to Know Your Teen Needs Help
Common Troubled Teen Behavior
Watch out for the following:
Emotional Signs
The following emotional signs may indicate adolescent crises:
Behavioral Signs
Troubled teenagers may skip school due to underlying mental or emotional issues, including:
A teen’s compulsive, habitual lying could also be a symptom of mental health conditions like:
Untreated mental health issues may result in runaway behavior. Teens may think that escaping their current environment will free them from their mental struggles.
Psychological Warnings Signs
Troubled teenagers may engage in deliberate self-harm by burning or cutting themselves. They may also express thoughts or ideas of suicide. If your teen shows these or more worrying signs, talk to our team at Nexus Teen Academy for professional help.
Normal Teen Moodiness vs. Serious Warning Signs
Typical teen moodiness usually subsides, but severe warning signs of troubled teen behavior are persistent and may interfere with daily functioning.
Why Early Intervention for Troubled Teens Saves Lives
Early intervention for teens is crucial to address emotional, mental, and behavioral issues. Delays can cause the following:
A long-term consequence of delaying getting help for struggling teens is chronic mental health issues. Left untreated, conditions like anxiety and depression can escalate into lifelong mental health struggles. Untreated emotional, behavioral, and mental problems can also increase the risk of committing a crime. Research shows that these conditions can cause troubled behaviors like violence if a person experiences the following:
Studies further suggest that untreated ADHD in childhood can increase later risk of troubled behaviors like substance use.
How to Help Your Troubled Teen as a Parent
Parenting troubled teenagers may not be easy. Their emotional and behavioral responses may often be unpredictable or intense. Open and non-judgmental communication can promote understanding and encourage adolescents to open up. Here are helpful techniques:
You can further help your troubled teen by becoming a reliable emotional anchor. Here are helpful tips:
Teenagers can develop good or unhealthy emotional management based on what they observe. Here’s how you can model emotional regulation:
Choosing the Right Program for Your Troubled Teen
Every adolescent’s needs are individual and specific. Consider your teenager’s unique needs when looking at the best programs for troubled teens. Here’s a checklist:
One of the most effective ways to choose a teen therapy program is to involve your teen in decision-making. Doing so increases the chances of their engagement in treatment and makes them feel empowered and more likely to commit to treatment, which can result in positive treatment outcomes. But depending on the severity of their emotional, behavioral, or mental issues, it may not be possible to involve your teen.
Getting Help for Troubled Teens at Nexus Teen Academy
Addressing troubled teen behavior early on helps restore a teenager’s normal functioning. It reduces adverse risks like self-harm and increases the chances of positive treatment outcomes. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness but an indicator of strong parenting. One of the best ways to express your love to your son or daughter is to find them the help they need.
At Nexus Teen Academy, we offer trusted support and treatment tailored to your teen’s unique needs. We have specialized experience in teen mental health treatment using evidence-based approaches. We’re committed to helping your teenager thrive emotionally, mentally, and socially. Reach out to Nexus Teen Academy today for guidance on troubled teen behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can convince your teen they need help by doing the following:
Some of the risks of residential treatment include:
Teen mental health treatment usually aims for recovery, remission, or ongoing management. Adolescent mental health issues can be treated and managed. Early intervention increases the chances of positive treatment outcomes.
Here’s what you can do if you can’t afford therapy for your teen: