Peer Relationship Counseling

Do you notice your child withdrawing socially? Coming home too early? Not hanging out with any friends? Or maybe hanging out with what you’d think as ‘the wrong crowd?’

Peer relationship problems can increase your child’s risk of poor outcomes that may persist well throughout life. The most common peer relationship issues are harassment and victimization by others. These problems are often hidden, so you need to look for subtle indications. 

With ThoughtWise, we can help you address issues and conflict safely and in a conducive environment. Or if you find yourself not having friends, we can help you find ways on how to make friends. Our compassionate and insightful team is here to support you in what you need. 

If your child struggles with peer relationships, language, or communication and also experiences additional symptoms associated with ASD, it may be beneficial to receive an assessment for ASD or other developmental disorders to ensure your child receives the support they need to thrive.  

The Importance of peer relationships

Even if you don’t know it, peers affect your life. They can improve or disrupt your life just by spending time with you. It’s only natural to listen and learn from other people in your age group. Research teams found that good social relationships in adolescents could minimize abdominal obesity, swelling, and high blood pressure. Older adults with active social lives had better lung function, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. One study suggests that not having friends is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic! Click here to read on about this study.

Peer relationships in adolescence

In adolescence, peer relationships are very critical. When adolescents become independent from their parents, peers are an essential social and emotional support during this phase. Adolescent friendly attitudes may have a positive as well as a negative effect. Strong peer attachments can improve a teenager’s well-being when pairing issues like bullying can have substantial psychological, physical, academic, and social-emotional effects for victims and perpetrators. 

By late adolescence, peer groups can look like close-knit secondary families and give young people, if not most, and help in their emotions. This may mainly be true if young adults live apart from their families because school or work have separated themselves because of conflict or other problems from their biological families.

The number of close friendships reduces during adolescence, but these relationships’ quality becomes more vulnerable, secure, and intimate. Meanwhile, as virtual youth networks grow, casual acquaintances increase due to advanced technology on communication, new leisure and social events, specific education, and employment experiences.

How to make friends

Friendship is an integral aspect of life. But making friends doesn’t come to everyone naturally. It’s more complicated than it seems. Many people will quickly make friends because they have these social abilities. Or they develop it as they grow up. However, some people require more time. That’s particularly true for people who learn and think differently. 

Set an appointment today!

Making friends is not an easy feat. But with ThoughtWise, we can help you implement strategies on how to make friends. Our therapists and counselors are learned with the recent psychological and development research in the field. Paired with compassion and insight, we will help you learn positive social interactions and conflict management and build long-lasting friendships in life. Reach out today and see the difference in your life with ThoughtWise.