Middle School Therapy Group

anxiety communication emotion recognition emotional regulation group therapy healthy communication skills healthy coping skills healthy relationships irrational thoughts middle school preteen skills student teens

Posted: March 17, 2022

By: Margie Frisco, MA Supervised by Melissa Barton, MA, LPC-S If you have a child in Middle School, a therapy group can be an impactful way for your child to learn various skills. For instance, do you remember what it was like to be a middle schooler? It was the time in most of our lives that our friend's opinions and behaviors began to influence us the most. We start to transition to connect more with our peers. The transition from fifth grade to middle school is one of the kids' most challenging transitions.

How can the Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch help your Middle Schooler?

If we can make it a little easier, it can make the parents' lives easier. Group therapy can be a way to help. It gives our kids a space to feel and express their emotions with their peers. Expression at the Center is encouraged in a room that does not feel like school. Therefore, expressoin is inspired by acting out situations, drawing/coloring, talking, and playing games. Below is a list of common topics discussed within the Middle School therapy group.

Healthy Communication Skills:

Undoubtedly, healthy communication skills are imperative. Furthermore, some forms of communication are better and more beneficial than others. For example, you cannot communicate effectively with another person while feeling outraged. Moreover, we would practice different ways to display depending on the situation. This week we will review various forms of communication.

Irrational Thoughts:

It is a natural event for individuals to have random thoughts. How many times have we thought we knew what others were thinking? For instance, what if you caught someone looking at you. Could they just be looking in your direction? Or could they be thinking something nice about you? The reality is we genuinely do not know what others are thinking. It can be easier to assume we know what they are thinking.

Anxiety:

Everyone experiences stress. We begin by noticing how anxiety manifests for each person to address it. For some individuals, anxiety can display in the body as headaches, stomach aches, or body pains. Keep in mind some individuals are better at managing their symptoms than others. It is essential to discover where the pressure starts when trying to understand anxiety. Understanding the increase, why it occurs, and recognizing it allows us to address it before it becomes overwhelming. Identifying the lowest form of tension in the body can help pinpoint pressure. Upset and depressed girl holding smartphone sitting on college campus floor holding head. University sad student suffering from depression sitting on floor at high school. Lonely bullied teen in difficulty with copy space. Middle School therapy blog post, katy Texas, 77494.

Upset and depressed girl holding smartphone sitting on college campus floor holding head. University sad student suffering from depression sitting on floor at high school. Lonely bullied teen in difficulty with copy space. Middle School therapy blog post, katy Texas, 77494.

Emotion Recognition:

Recognizing emotions can benefit middle schoolers by teaching them to identify the feeling, ask if they are unsure, and react appropriately. Emotions can look different for each person. For instance, some people cry when they are sad. Others might become very quiet when low. Neither action is "wrong," but noticing that both individuals are unhappy can be helpful.

Emotion Regulation:

Emotion regulation means being able to help bring heightened emotions back down to an average level. This can be done by adding healthy coping skills. We focus on helping you recognize your feelings, learn to calm down, and return to a regulated place.

Healthy Coping Skills:

Coping skills can help make an overwhelming feeling more manageable. Keep in mind there are healthy and unhealthy coping skills. To differentiate, healthy versus unhealthy coping skills are covered during this week. Furthermore, how and when to implement the skills.

Healthy Relationships:

The relationship does not have to be just romantic. Identifying the impact of relationships can help recognize healthy and beneficial friendships to keep. This week, we look at the closest relationships in our lives and recognize abusive tendencies within a relationship. Young male student staring at the sink in the bathroom looking sad, Middle School therapy blog post, katy Texas, 77494.

Young male student staring at the sink in the bathroom looking sad, Middle School therapy blog post, katy Texas, 77494.

Begin Middle School Therapy today at the Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch in Katy, TX.

If you would like to talk more about Middle School Group therapy, one of the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide couple's counseling, as well as other mental health services. To begin couples counseling in Katy, TX, follow these three steps:

Contact our office to set up an appointment or to learn more about how to increase assertive communication
Meet with one of our knowledgeable therapists
Find new ways to become your most authentic you!

Other Therapy Services We Offer: Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch, we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men's issues, women's issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, trauma counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to post blogs regularly. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!