“Sleep is one of the first things to be thrown off in the summer, so it’s important to educate young patients about sleep hygiene,” says Laura Hannifan, NCC, LPC, Clinical Manager of the Child and Adolescent Program at Princeton House’s Hamilton outpatient site. “Kids tend to stay up late using technology and then sleep in late, leaving fewer hours in the day to feel productive. In turn, this can impact emotions, motivation, and the ability to focus.”
Hannifan notes that when behavioral health providers are able to stack summer appointments for children and teens during the morning hours, it can help young patients create built-in structure to start their day. This type of schedule gets them out of bed to receive treatment, while still leaving free time in the afternoon for them to enjoy summer activities.
Planning for Vacations
While young people need relaxation time, vacations can disrupt a regular treatment schedule and bring up new stressors. At a time when tweens and teens are building their sense of autonomy, a vacation may mean long stretches in close quarters with family members and a limited ability to pursue independent activities. Hannifan offers these tips for providers:
- Bookend the vacation with therapy sessions, so support is provided before leaving and upon return.
- Help patients create cope-ahead plans. Include four to five triggers they expect to encounter and coping skills to match the intensity of the emotion that each may elicit.
- Create a packing list of self-soothing items together. Kids may even enjoy a trip to a dollar store with their parents to select grounding items that engage the senses, such as those that have visual appeal, are scented or textured, taste sour, or make an interesting noise.
Regaining Focus
Because school is one of the biggest stressors for young people, summer therapy sessions can provide a valuable window to reflect on prior experiences and set expectations for the coming year. Summer can be a breath of fresh air for children and teens to look at things differently, hone processing skills, and consider what they want from the coming school year, according to Hannifan.
“As providers, we can help guide young patients in maintaining consistency while embracing flexibility during the summer,” she adds. “That also means enjoying time outside, getting plenty of movement, and prioritizing self-care.”
