Can After-School Appointments Improve Teen Mental Wellness? Yes! Here's How
Getting your teen to mental health appointments can feel overwhelming. There's school to work around, your own job schedule, extracurriculars, and homework. The list goes on.
And honestly? The timing of these appointments can make or break whether your teen actually wants to go.
That's where after-school appointments come in.
Keeping School and Treatment Separate
There's something really valuable about keeping these parts of life separate.
After-school appointments mean:
● No missed classes or confusion about assignments
● Your teen doesn't have to announce where they're headed
● The school day ends like any other day
● Getting help doesn't feel like it's taking over everything
Privacy Matters A lot During Adolescence
Remember being a teenager? Everything felt like it was under a microscope.
Today, we have the stress of social media and group chats where the news is shared within a matter of seconds.
After-school mental health care provides the teens with the benefit of keeping that aspect of their lives confidential. It means:
● They are not receiving questions in the hall
● No awkward explanations about early dismissals
● Freedom to share what they want, when they're ready
● Space to work on themselves without an audience
Privacy isn't really about shame. It's about having room to be vulnerable without worrying who's watching.
Working Around Family Schedules
You're probably stretched thin already.
Perhaps you have other children, a working life that does not appreciate your early departure, or you are just tired of rearranging your schedule.
When appointments happen after school:
● Pick-up feels normal, not frantic
● Your teen has time to decompress from their day first
● Everyone shows up in a better headspace
Something must be said for that car ride between school and the appointment.
Sometimes that's when your teen opens up about what's actually bothering them. You can't put a price on those moments.
The Importance of Regular Attendance
Treatment of mental health is effective when it is regular.
However, if appointments conflict with a test, sports practice, or project deadline, it becomes simple to reschedule them.
Then weeks go by.
After-school appointments remove those obstacles, which means:
● Your teen builds rapport with their provider
● Progress doesn't keep getting interrupted
● Coping skills have time to take root
● Support becomes woven into their week, not squeezed in
The less appointments interfere with all the other activities, the better that your teen will be more inclined to stick with treatment.
Related: Living Your Best Life with the Right Treatment Support
Finding the Right Support for Your Teen
At Serenity Health in Carmel, we provide after-school appointment schedules since we understand that half the battle is scheduling.
When your teenager has to deal with anxiety, depression, or simply needs someone to talk to, we are here to help.
We believe in meeting families where they are, not where some rigid schedule says you should be.
Getting started is simple.
Book an intake when you have a quiet moment. After that first in-person visit, we've even got telehealth options, if that makes life easier.
Your teenager deserves support that doesn't add another complicated thing to manage. Let's keep it simple and actually doable.
FAQs
How soon can we usually get in?
It varies, but we do our best to get new patients scheduled within a reasonable timeframe. Reach out via phone call or text message at 463-240-1670, and we'll figure it out.
So, what happens in that first appointment?
For the most part, this is all about meeting the teenager, assessing and discussing what’s happening and could be done, in a supportive manner. No pressure, just discussions.
Can parents be involved?
Absolutely, and especially early on! We’ll figure out the right level of involvement together as things progress.
