Children and teenagers experience many of the same emotions and mental health concerns as adults, but they may express them very differently. A child who is anxious may complain about stomachaches. A teenager who is depressed may seem irritable rather than sad. Stress, grief, trauma, family changes, school difficulties, and problems with friends can sometimes appear as changes in behavior before a young person is able to explain what is wrong.
Changes in mood or behavior do not automatically mean that a child has a mental health condition. Growing up involves constant emotional, social, physical, and developmental changes. What matters is often how persistent or severe a change becomes and how much it affects everyday life.
Clinically Reviewed by Jim Garvey, MA, LPC, LPCS
Last reviewed: September 2026
Young people do not always have the words to describe what they are experiencing.
Instead of saying, "I'm anxious," "I'm overwhelmed," or "I'm depressed," a child or teenager may begin behaving differently.
Changes that parents or caregivers may notice can include:
Any one of these changes can have many possible explanations. Patterns, persistence, severity, and changes from a child's usual behavior are often more informative than a single symptom.
Adults often expect emotional distress to appear as conversation: someone recognizes a problem, describes how they feel, and asks for help.
Children do not necessarily work that way.
A younger child may not understand why they suddenly become angry, cling to a parent, refuse to go to school, or have difficulty sleeping. Their behavior may communicate something they cannot yet explain.
Teenagers may have a greater ability to describe their emotions but still choose not to. They may worry about disappointing their parents, losing privacy, being judged, or having adults overreact.
Sometimes a parent recognizes that something has changed long before the child or teenager is willing or able to talk about it.
Children and teenagers change constantly.
Moodiness, occasional anxiety, arguments with parents, changing friendships, disappointment, testing boundaries, and wanting greater independence can all occur as part of normal development.
There is rarely one behavior that clearly separates normal development from a mental health concern.
It can be useful to consider several questions:
Persistent or worsening changes deserve more attention than an occasional difficult day.
Anxiety is common among young people and can appear in many different ways.
Some children worry openly and frequently ask for reassurance. Others become irritable, avoid activities, struggle with separation, have difficulty sleeping, or complain about physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches.
Teenagers may worry about school performance, friendships, appearance, social situations, family problems, their future, or many things at once.
Anxiety becomes more concerning when fear or worry begins significantly restricting a young person's life or interfering with school, relationships, sleep, activities, or everyday functioning.
Depression in young people does not always look like persistent sadness.
Children and teenagers experiencing depression may become irritable, withdrawn, tired, unmotivated, unusually sensitive to criticism, or uninterested in activities they once enjoyed.
Changes may also appear in sleep, appetite, school performance, friendships, concentration, or self-esteem.
Because adolescence naturally involves emotional and social changes, depression can sometimes be mistaken for ordinary teenage moodiness. Persistent changes in functioning or behavior deserve closer attention.
Difficulty concentrating, impulsivity, excessive activity, disorganization, forgetfulness, and difficulty completing tasks can create problems at home and school.
These behaviors can occur with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but they can also occur for other reasons.
Anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep problems, learning difficulties, stress, family changes, and other circumstances can sometimes produce behaviors that resemble attention or behavioral disorders.
Understanding what is contributing to a child's behavior is important before assuming that one particular diagnosis explains it.
School occupies a large part of a young person's life, which means emotional difficulties often become visible there.
Parents may notice declining grades, missing assignments, frequent absences, school refusal, disciplinary problems, difficulty concentrating, or a sudden loss of interest in academic performance.
School difficulties can also contribute to emotional distress. Learning challenges, bullying, social problems, academic pressure, transitions between schools, and conflicts with teachers or peers can all affect a child's well-being.
A sudden change in school performance is worth understanding even when academics are not the primary concern.
Friendships become increasingly important as children grow.
Conflict with friends, rejection, bullying, social anxiety, loneliness, changing peer groups, and pressure to fit in can have a significant emotional impact.
Social media and online communication can add another layer to these experiences. Conflict may continue outside school hours, social comparison can become constant, and young people may feel pressure to remain connected even when online interactions are contributing to stress.
Some young people openly discuss these problems with their parents. Others may become quieter, withdraw socially, or simply say that everything is fine.
Children are affected by changes within their families even when adults try to protect them from stress.
Divorce, separation, remarriage, blended families, moving, financial difficulties, illness, death, changes in custody, deployment, incarceration, conflict between parents, and other significant changes can influence a child's emotions and behavior.
Children may also misunderstand events around them or believe they are somehow responsible for family problems.
Different children within the same family may respond to the same event in completely different ways.
Children and teenagers can experience trauma and grief following frightening, dangerous, painful, or significant life events.
Their responses may include anxiety, nightmares, avoidance, irritability, regression, emotional numbness, changes in behavior, difficulty concentrating, or repeated questions about what happened.
Grief may follow the death of someone important but can also occur following divorce, loss of friendships, moving, illness, or other major changes.
Children often revisit grief as they develop. A young child may understand a loss differently years later as their ability to understand death, relationships, and permanence changes.
Growing up involves developing a stronger sense of identity.
Children and teenagers may struggle with confidence, appearance, friendships, belonging, academic expectations, family expectations, independence, relationships, or questions about who they are becoming.
Adolescence in particular involves balancing increasing independence with continued dependence on parents and caregivers.
Conflict during this process is not automatically evidence that something is wrong. However, persistent distress, severe withdrawal, intense self-criticism, or significant changes in functioning may indicate that additional support could be helpful.
Counseling with young people varies considerably depending on age, developmental level, concerns, personality, and treatment goals.
Younger children may communicate and learn through play, activities, stories, drawing, games, and other developmentally appropriate approaches in addition to conversation.
Older children and teenagers may participate in counseling that looks more like traditional talk therapy while also learning practical skills for managing emotions, communication, stress, relationships, and behavior.
Family involvement may also be part of treatment when appropriate.
Counseling should be adapted to the young person rather than expecting a child to participate exactly as an adult would.
Parents and caregivers can be an important part of treatment.
The amount and type of involvement depends on the child's age, needs, treatment goals, family circumstances, and the clinician's approach.
Parents may provide important information about behavior, development, family history, school performance, and changes they have observed. They may also learn strategies for supporting their child outside counseling.
At the same time, particularly with adolescents, having an appropriate degree of privacy can help a young person speak openly and develop a trusting therapeutic relationship.
The counselor can discuss expectations about parental involvement, privacy, and its limits at the beginning of treatment.
There is no requirement that a child reach a crisis before counseling can be considered.
Parents may seek counseling when changes in mood, behavior, relationships, school performance, sleep, anxiety, anger, or daily functioning persist or become difficult to manage.
Counseling may also be useful following a significant loss, traumatic experience, family transition, divorce, bullying, major move, or other stressful event.
Sometimes parents simply recognize that their child is struggling and are unsure why. An initial counseling appointment can be a reasonable place to begin understanding what may be happening.
If a child or teenager is talking about suicide or self-harm, has attempted to harm themselves or someone else, or is in immediate danger, seek immediate help. In the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is an immediate threat to life or safety, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Etheria Counseling provides outpatient counseling for children and adolescents beginning at age 6.
Our clinicians work with young people experiencing concerns including anxiety, depression, behavioral difficulties, trauma, grief, family conflict, school difficulties, relationship problems, major life changes, and other emotional or behavioral concerns.
Depending on the child's age, needs, and clinician, counseling may incorporate approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, family-based approaches, solution-focused therapy, skills development, and play-based techniques.
Accepting New Clients
In-Person: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Telehealth: Throughout South Carolina
Ages: 6+
Insurance: Medicare, Medicaid, and major insurance plans
Self-Pay: Available
If you're looking for counseling for your child or teenager, learn more about Counseling for Teens at Etheria Counseling or contact us to discuss scheduling.
Call 843-868-6200 or use our online scheduling option to get started.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) — Child and Adolescent Mental Health
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) — Facts for Families
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Children's Mental Health
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Mental health and suicide crisis support
Etheria Counseling, LLC
1551 21st Avenue North, Suite 17, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone - 843-868-6200 Fax - 843-868-6200
Copyright © 2026 Etheria Counseling, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.