It’s a great time to be a girl. Never in history has there been a time where females have been so supported and so empowered. And yet, girls still struggle internally. They are known for internalizing their feelings (more than boys), which means they can look just fine on the outside but on the inside they are hurting. The following are trends which I am noticing in my private practice. Girls are struggling with:

• Self esteem issues
• Self image / body image issues
• People-pleasing
• Perfectionism
• Lack of confidence and self-esteem
• Their own emotions (anger, sadness, joy and fear)
• Relationships with family members and friends
• Social media traps (comparing themselves to others, wanting those “likes”, caring too much about what others think, posting to fit in or to be liked, FOMO – fear of missing out)

When I was a young girl, I experienced many of these same challenges, so I relate on a personal level. But growing-up girl does not have to be so painful as it was for me. While it’s normal (and even necessary) to have some struggles and insecurities growing up, the things our girls are facing today have me very concerned. Social media in particular has opened up a whole new world for girls to have to figure out how to navigate. The problem is that parents are often in the dark and unaware as to what their daughter is experiencing through social media interactions.

What Parents Can Do

Often, parents simply don’t know where to begin. I commonly get questions like: “How involved should I get in my daughter’s social life?”, “when do I let them make mistakes and when do I intervene?”, and “how do I handle my own emotions when triggered?”

I encourage parents to have real and honest (age-appropriate) conversations about emotions, relationships, and social media with their daughters. Social media conversations should start as early as elementary school (The world is changing, and even if you do not allow your daughter to have a phone when in elementary school, chances are she will have a friend who has one so it’s better to be prepared). I also encourage parents to help their daughters understand their emotions, others’ emotions, and their friends’ behavior.

I’m excited to continue the conversation about how counseling can assist parents and daughters to work together to resolve some of these challenges.

Empowering Families By Strengthening Girls & Women

At Warrenton Women’s Counseling Center, we work with girls of all ages (teenagers, adult women, mothers, and daughters). Our work is done face-to-face, online or via phone. We would love to hear from you and help to empower you and/or your daughter.
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Michelle Kelley, LCSW is a licensed counselor and  owner of Warrenton Women’s Counseling Center. We work with girls and women of all ages.  Our motto is to empower families by strengthening girls and women.    For more information call (540) 316-6362 or email Michelle@WarrentonWomensCounselingCenter.com