Care Counseling Center, a recently-opened counseling facility based in Somerville and Princeton, New Jersey, has recently begun to extend free services to teenagers, as well as survivors of abuse.
As Dr. Maria Rodriguez, founder and CEO of Care Counseling Center explains, “These groups are among our most vulnerable populations — and all too often, they lack the financial resources to obtain paid counseling and other forms of support. We know that without adequate resources, mental and emotional health challenges can spiral. Our goal is to reach as many people as we can and provide the help they need as early as possible.”
Mike Kogan, an on-staff counselor at Care Counseling Center who specializes in PTSD, positive psychology, trauma and marriage counseling, agrees. “Providing these services for free is crucial for building a stronger community. When we can help vulnerable groups become more emotionally resilient and be better equipped to face their challenges, it ultimately lifts everyone.”
Common Issues Facing Teens
Mental and emotional health challenges are a major concern for teens. According to the World Health Organization, one in seven youth between the ages of 10 and 19 suffers from a mental disorder, with depression and anxiety being the leading culprits.
“Adolescent mental health issues must be addressed during adolescence,” Kogan explains.
“Failure to address these problems in a timely and appropriate fashion can keep teens from developing healthy emotional and social habits that will aid with their mental wellbeing as adults. Left unchecked, such conditions can greatly impair long-term mental health, depriving teens of opportunities to have a fulfilling adult life.”
Research has consistently found that cognitive behavioral therapy and group-based interventions are the most effective tools for reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety among teens.
Survivors of Abuse at Risk
The consequences of abuse can be far-reaching for survivors …
“It doesn’t matter what kind of abuse a person suffers,” Dr. Rodriguez notes. “Be it emotional, verbal, physical or even sexual abuse, this behavior can have a devastating impact on their self-confidence and overall well-being. Abuse and other forms of trauma have been directly linked to an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety or PTSD.
“Symptoms of trauma from abuse can sometimes take months or years before they start to significantly affect someone’s life — which is why it is so important for individuals who have suffered abuse to be continuously mindful of their mental and emotional well-being.”
A research analysis by the World Health Organization that focused on the effects of violent abuse illustrate just how dire things can become for victims who do not receive appropriate mental health treatment. The resulting severe anxiety or depression can interfere with daily life, with many individuals turning to drug abuse, self-harm and other destructive behaviors.
As Dr. Rodriguez explains, “The big tragedy here is that these survivors aren’t to blame for their situation, but their suffering can continue long after they have left that abusive relationship.”
What Keeps Them From Seeking Help, and How Does Care Counseling Center Make a Difference?
“There are several factors that can keep teens, survivors of abuse and others from seeking the help they need,” Kogan says. “Unfortunately, there is still a fair amount of stigma regarding mental health in the first place, even though we should view mental illness in a similar way to how we view a physical ailment. Because of this, some people worry about how others will perceive them or treat them if they discuss their mental health challenges.”
“Fear and misinformation are major impediments,” Dr. Rodriguez adds.
“A person who is still in an abusive relationship may understandably fear repercussions for seeking help. Or, they might assume that counseling and support are financially out of reach — often in part due to circumstances related to the abuse they have suffered.”
The introduction of the free services was done in large part to help address the stigma and misinformation surrounding mental health services. “By making these services more accessible, we can directly combat a lot of the issues that keep people from seeking the help they need in the first place,” Kogan says.
To achieve this, Care Counseling Center has developed youth groups aimed to address different challenges that teens face, such as grief, bullying, self-esteem and peer pressure. The facility also offers a broad range of mental health services for survivors of abuse, including programs for individuals who are also struggling with substance use disorders.
Hope for a Better Future …
Dr. Rodriguez and Kogan express hope that by offering free services to troubled teens and survivors of abuse, their facility can bring greater awareness to the challenges facing Somerville, the Tri-State Area and other communities across the nation. “Quite honestly, one of the biggest problems in confronting these issues is that they just aren’t talked about enough,” Dr. Rodriguez says.
“People get worried about how much it will cost to seek help, and then they try to sweep their problems under the rug. But these aren’t challenges that can get resolved on their own. Our goal in providing free services is to ensure that more people become aware of the challenges that exist in our community — and that there are reasonable ways to deal with them.”
Media Contact:
Name: Care Counseling Center
Email: mike@carecounselingcenter.org
City: Somerville, New Jersey
Country: United States
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